title: Factors associated with parasite dominance in fishes from Brazil.
abstract: The present study used regression models to evaluate the existence of factors that may influence the numerical parasite dominance with an epidemiological approximation. A database including 3,746 fish specimens and their respective parasites were used to evaluate the relationship between parasite dominance and biotic characteristics inherent to the studied hosts and the parasite taxa. Multivariate, classical, and mixed effects linear regression models were fitted. The calculations were performed using R software (95% CI). In the fitting of the classical multiple linear regression model, freshwater and planktivorous fish species and body length, as well as the species of the taxa Trematoda, Monogenea, and Hirudinea, were associated with parasite dominance. However, the fitting of the mixed effects model showed that the body length of the host and the species of the taxa Nematoda, Trematoda, Monogenea, Hirudinea, and Crustacea were significantly associated with parasite dominance. Studies that consider specific biological aspects of the hosts and parasites should expand the knowledge regarding factors that influence the numerical dominance of fish in Brazil. The use of a mixed model shows, once again, the importance of the appropriate use of a model correlated with the characteristics of the data to obtain consistent results.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica RJ , Brasil, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Cristina Fernandes do
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Amarante
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica RJ , Brasil, Departamento de Matemática, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Wagner de Souza
authors.initials: Wde S
authors.lastname: Tassinari
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica RJ , Brasil, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil.|Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica RJ , Brasil, Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Jose Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Luque
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica RJ , Brasil, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maria Julia Salim
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D005399:Fishes / Q000469:parasitology*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D010271:Parasites / Q000502:physiology*