title: [MORPHOLOGICAL VARIABILITY OF PROTEOCEPHALUS PERCAE (MÜLLER 1780) PARASITIZING COREGONID FISHES].
abstract: Morphological variability of Proteocephalus percae from native host--perch Perca fluviatilis and two species of coregonids (whitefish Coregonus lavaretus and Arctic cisco C. autumnalis) from fish farms of Karelia were studied. Parasite groups from 3 host species differed by morphometric parameters. Morphological structure of P. percae from native host included three morphs, those numbers were almost equal. Parasite groups of whitefish and Arctic cisco differed from that of perch in morphological structure and dominance of different morphs. Changes of the P. percae morphological structure was related to differences in ecological niches of three hosts of parasite. This reflects the initial stages of microevolution. The results obtained allow us to estimate an adaptive response of parasitic worms to new host species settling to pond.
authors.forename: L V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Anikieva
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Ieshko
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Lebedeva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002589:Cestoda / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D010471:Perches / Q000469:parasitology*; D012426:Russia