• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.363-368
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• 2016

We describe here the mass death of predatory carp, Chanodichthys erythropterus, in Korea induced by plerocercoid larvae of Ligula intestinalis as a result of host manipulation. The carcasses of fish with ligulid larvae were first found in the river-edge areas of Chilgok-bo in Nakdong-gang (River), Korea at early February 2016. This ecological phenomena also occurred in the adjacent areas of 3 dams of Nakdong-gang, i.e., Gangjeong-bo, Dalseong-bo, and Hapcheon-Changnyeong-bo. Total 1,173 fish carcasses were collected from the 4 regions. To examine the cause of death, we captured 10 wondering carp in the river-edge areas of Hapcheon-Changnyeong-bo with a landing net. They were 24.0-28.5 cm in length and 147-257 g in weight, and had 2-11 plerocercoid larvae in the abdominal cavity. Their digestive organs were slender and empty, and reproductive organs were not observed at all. The plerocercoid larvae occupied almost all spaces of the abdominal cavity under the air bladders. The proportion of larvae per fish was 14.6-32.1% of body weight. The larvae were ivory-white, 21.5-63.0 cm long, and 6.0-13.8 g in weight. We suggest that the preference for the river-edge in infected fish during winter is a modified behavioral response by host manipulation of the tapeworm larvae. The life cycle of this tapeworm seems to be successfully continued as the infected fish can be easily eaten by avian definitive hosts.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.215-227
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• 2016

In freshwater ecosystems, the types of fish parasites are diverse and routes of infection are complicated because they maintain the life cycle in a variety of host animals, The present study investigated the infestation characteristics of parasites occurring in abdominal cavity of Zacco platypus in Seom River from February to October 2007. At the same time, four streams (Gam Stream, Daepo Stream, Yangsan Stream, and Yulha Stream) were also surveyed for the reference of fish infection. Aquatic insects and shellfish predominated benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages by 90.4% and 7.7% of relative abundance, respectively. Aquatic insects were composed mostly of Ephemeroptera (46.8%) and Trichoptera (29.8%), and shellfish was Gastropods. Freshwater fish was most abundant Cyprinid and Z. platypus by 85.7% and 48.8%, respectively. Among waterfowl, Anas poecilorhyncha and Egretta garzetta were dominant in August. Fish parasites observed in the abdominal cavity of Z. platypus was classified as Ligula intestinalis, belonging to Phylum Platyhelminthes Cestoda Pseudophyllidae. L. intestinalis was observed from Z. platypus in October, as the number of one individual in the Seom River and fifteen individuals in the Yangsan Stream. Infection rate of plerocercoid ranged 1.4~15.8%. We discussed the relationship between the life cycle of the parasite and the host, and hope our results to be useful for understanding the ecology of the fish abdominal parasites in Korean river ecosystem.