title: The European eel may tolerate multiple infections at a low biological cost.
abstract: Most animals are concurrently infected with multiple parasites, and interactions among them may influence both disease dynamics and host fitness. However, the sublethal costs of parasite infections are difficult to measure and the effects of concomitant infections with multiple parasite species on individual physiology and fitness are poorly described for wild hosts. To understand the costs of co-infection, we investigated the relationships among 189 European eel (Anguilla anguilla) from Mar Menor, parasites (richness and intensity) and eel's 'health status' (fluctuant asymmetry, splenic somatic index and the scaled mass index) by partial least squares regression. We found a positive relationship with 44% of the health status variance explained by parasites. Contracaecum sp. (Nematoda: Anisakidae) was the strongest predictor variable (44·72%) followed by Bucephalus anguillae (Platyhelminthes: Bucephalidae), (29·26%), considered the two most relevant parasites in the analysis. Subsequently, 15·67 and 12·01% of the response variables block were explained by parasite richness and Deropristis inflata (Platyhelminthes: Deropristiidae), respectively. Thus, the presence of multiple parasitic exposures with little effect on condition, strongly suggests that eels from Mar Menor tolerate multiparasitism.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Sanidad Animal,Universidad de Murcia,30100 Murcia,España.
authors.forename: Elvira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mayo-Hernández
authors.affiliation: CESAM,Departamento de Biologia,Universidade de Aveiro,Campus Universitario de Santiago,3810-193 Aveiro,Portugal.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.affiliation: Campus de Excelencia Internacional Regional 'Campus Mare Nostrum',Universidad de Murcia,Espinardo,30100 Murcia,España.
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peñalver
authors.affiliation: Campus de Excelencia Internacional Regional 'Campus Mare Nostrum',Universidad de Murcia,Espinardo,30100 Murcia,España.
authors.forename: Alfonsa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García-Ayala
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Sanidad Animal,Universidad de Murcia,30100 Murcia,España.
authors.forename: Rocío
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ruiz de Ybáñez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Sanidad Animal,Universidad de Murcia,30100 Murcia,España.
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Muñoz
mesh_terms: D000811:Anguilla / Q000469:parasitology*; D000818:Animals; D060085:Coinfection; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D009348:Nematoda / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D009349:Nematode Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D010986:Platyhelminths / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: body scaled mass; co-infection; eel; fluctuant asymmetry; multiparasitism; splenic somatic index; teleost