title: Behavioral changes caused by Austrodiplostomum spp. in Hoplias malabaricus from the São Francisco River, Brazil.
abstract: Traira (Hoplias malabaricus) is a neotropical fish that is widely distributed in freshwater environments in South America. In the present study, we documented the occurrence of metacercariae of Austrodiplostomum spp. (Diplostomidae) in the eyes and cranial cavity of H. malabaricus and described parasite-induced behavioral changes in the host. The fish were collected from the upper São Francisco River, in the Serra da Canastra mountain range, Minas Gerais, transported alive to the laboratory, observed for 2 weeks, and subsequently examined for parasites. Of the 35 fish examined, 28 (80 %) had free metacercariae in the vitreous humor (mean intensity=95.4; mean abundance=76.3), and 24 (68.57 %) had free metacercariae in the cranial cavity, mainly concentrated below the floor of the brain, at the height of the ophthalmic lobe (mean intensity=12.91; mean abundance=8.85). Specimens of H. malabaricus with a high intensity of infection in the brain displayed changes in swimming behavior.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Caixa Postal 6109, CEP 13083-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil, lincorre@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Lincoln L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Corrêa
authors.forename: Geza T R
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Ricardo M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Takemoto
authors.forename: Paulo S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Ceccarelli
authors.forename: Edson A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Adriano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001938:Brazil; D020809:Central Nervous System Helminthiasis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary; D060125:Characiformes / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000502:physiology*; D005123:Eye / Q000469:parasitology; D015822:Eye Infections, Parasitic / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D058488:Metacercariae / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D045483:Rivers; D013550:Swimming; D014200:Trematoda / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*