title: Parasite transmission and cannibalism in an amphipod (Crustacea).
abstract: In its freshwater amphipod host Gammarus duebeni celticus, the microsporidian parasite Pleistophora mulleri showed 23% transmission efficiency when uninfected individuals were fed infected tissue, but 0% transmission by water-borne and coprophagous routes. Cannibalism between unparasitised and parasitised individuals was significantly in favour of the former (37% compared to 0%). In addition, cannibalism between parasitised individuals was significantly higher than between unparasitised individuals (27% compared to 0%). Thus, parasitised individuals were more likely to be cannibalised by both unparasitised and parasitised individuals. We discuss the conflicting selective forces within this host/parasite relationship, the implications of parasite mediated cannibalism for host population structure and the impacts this may have on the wider aquatic community.
authors.affiliation: School of Biology and Biochemistry, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK. c.macneil@qub.ac.uk
authors.forename: Calum
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: MacNeil
authors.forename: Jaimie T A
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Dick
authors.forename: Melanie J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hatcher
authors.forename: Nina J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Fielding
authors.forename: Kevin D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Hume
authors.forename: Alison M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Dunn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002190:Cannibalism; D003445:Crustacea / Q000469:parasitology*; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000469:parasitology; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D016881:Microsporidiosis / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D021864:Pleistophora