title: Salinity gradient shapes distance decay of similarity among parasite communities in three marine fishes.
abstract: Published data were used to compare the distance decay of similarity in parasite communities of three marine fish hosts: Atlantic cod Gadus morhua, the dab Limanda limanda and the flounder Platichthys flesus in two adjacent areas that differ with respect to the strength of a salinity gradient. In the Baltic Sea, which exhibits a strong salinity gradient from its connection with the North Sea in the west to its head in the north-east, parasite communities in all three fish hosts showed a significant decline of similarity with increasing distance. In contrast, among host populations in the North Sea, which is a fully marine environment, there was no such decline or only a weak relationship. The results suggest that environmental gradients like salinity can be strong driving forces behind patterns of distance decay in parasite communities of fishes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand. David.Thieltges@otago.ac.nz
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Thieltges
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dolch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krakau
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Poulin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005412:Flatfishes / Q000469:parasitology*; D048389:Gadus morhua / Q000469:parasitology*; D005843:Geography; D009659:North Sea; D010271:Parasites / Q000254:growth & development*; D054712:Salinity