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Reproductive potential of Gyrodactylus bullatarudis (Monogenea) on guppies (Poecilia reticulata)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

Marilyn E. Scott
Marilyn E. Scott
Affiliation:
Department of Pure and Applied Biology, Imperial College of Science and Technology, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BB
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Summary

Two simple experiments were undertaken using the viviparous ectoparasite, Gyrodactylus bullatarudis, and laboratory-reared guppies, Poecilia reticulata, whereby detailed records of the number and temporal sequence of all births and the age at death were obtained for flukes on isolated guppies. Gyrodactylus bullatarudis has an average fecundity of 1·68 offspring during its expected life-span of 4·20 days. The instantaneous birth rate is independent of generation but dependent on age. The first offspring is born approximately 1 day after the birth of the parent and subsequent offspring are born at 2–2·5 day intervals. The average instantancous birth rate (under given experimental conditions) is 0.43/parasite/day. The death rate increases exponentially with the age of the fluke and has an average value of 0.24/parasite/day. A simple deterministic model incorporating age structure and an age-dependent death rate was found to provide a good fit to the observed exponential increase in G. bullatarudis numbers. The variability observed in this host–parasite system was found to be largely a function of chance, as shown by Monte Carlo simulations of stochastic birth–death processes.

Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 85 , Issue 2 , October 1982 , pp. 217 - 236
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

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