Helminth Parasites of Invasive Freshwater Fish in Lithuania

Freshwater ecosystems in Lithuania are threatened by the introduction of invasive fish species including <i>Neogobius fluviatilis</i>, <i>N. melanostomus</i>, <i>Perccottus glenii</i>, and <i>Pseudorasbora parva</i>. Data on helminth parasites of these...

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Main Authors: Olena Kudlai, Vytautas Rakauskas, Nathan Jay Baker, Camila Pantoja, Olga Lisitsyna, Rasa Binkienė
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Animals
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/22/3293
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author Olena Kudlai
Vytautas Rakauskas
Nathan Jay Baker
Camila Pantoja
Olga Lisitsyna
Rasa Binkienė
author_facet Olena Kudlai
Vytautas Rakauskas
Nathan Jay Baker
Camila Pantoja
Olga Lisitsyna
Rasa Binkienė
author_sort Olena Kudlai
collection DOAJ
description Freshwater ecosystems in Lithuania are threatened by the introduction of invasive fish species including <i>Neogobius fluviatilis</i>, <i>N. melanostomus</i>, <i>Perccottus glenii</i>, and <i>Pseudorasbora parva</i>. Data on helminth parasites of these fishes have not been comprehensively studied, with only two reports on parasites of <i>N. melanostomus</i> from the Curonian Lagoon and Baltic Sea, Lithuania. We examined 278 fish individuals representing 4 invasive species from 13 waterbodies. Using morphological and molecular analyses, we identified 29 helminth taxa representing 15 digenean trematodes, 6 nematodes, 4 cestodes, 2 acanthocephalans, and 2 monogeneans. With 18 species, <i>N. fluviatilis</i> had the highest helminth diversity, followed by <i>N. melanostomus</i> (11 species) and <i>Ps. parva</i> (8 species). <i>Perccottus glenii</i> was found to be free from helminth infection. The availability of historical information on the native fish parasites in Lithuania allowed us to conclude that out of the 29 recorded species, invasive fish serve as hosts for 22 local fish helminth species, while 7 helminth species have been reported exclusively in invasive fish. Based on newly obtained and previously published data, a total of 34 helminth species parasitise invasive fish in Lithuania, of which 30 use these fish as intermediate or paratenic hosts.
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spelling doaj-art-d65e0c14e9174d2ea0b5bb5bb85fce932024-11-26T17:46:06ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152024-11-011422329310.3390/ani14223293Helminth Parasites of Invasive Freshwater Fish in LithuaniaOlena Kudlai0Vytautas Rakauskas1Nathan Jay Baker2Camila Pantoja3Olga Lisitsyna4Rasa Binkienė5Nature Research Centre, 08412 Vilnius, LithuaniaNature Research Centre, 08412 Vilnius, LithuaniaNature Research Centre, 08412 Vilnius, LithuaniaInstitute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech RepublicI.I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, NAS of Ukraine, 01030 Kyiv, UkraineNature Research Centre, 08412 Vilnius, LithuaniaFreshwater ecosystems in Lithuania are threatened by the introduction of invasive fish species including <i>Neogobius fluviatilis</i>, <i>N. melanostomus</i>, <i>Perccottus glenii</i>, and <i>Pseudorasbora parva</i>. Data on helminth parasites of these fishes have not been comprehensively studied, with only two reports on parasites of <i>N. melanostomus</i> from the Curonian Lagoon and Baltic Sea, Lithuania. We examined 278 fish individuals representing 4 invasive species from 13 waterbodies. Using morphological and molecular analyses, we identified 29 helminth taxa representing 15 digenean trematodes, 6 nematodes, 4 cestodes, 2 acanthocephalans, and 2 monogeneans. With 18 species, <i>N. fluviatilis</i> had the highest helminth diversity, followed by <i>N. melanostomus</i> (11 species) and <i>Ps. parva</i> (8 species). <i>Perccottus glenii</i> was found to be free from helminth infection. The availability of historical information on the native fish parasites in Lithuania allowed us to conclude that out of the 29 recorded species, invasive fish serve as hosts for 22 local fish helminth species, while 7 helminth species have been reported exclusively in invasive fish. Based on newly obtained and previously published data, a total of 34 helminth species parasitise invasive fish in Lithuania, of which 30 use these fish as intermediate or paratenic hosts.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/22/3293aquatic invasion<i>Neogobius</i> spp.<i>Perccottus glenii</i><i>Pseudorasbora parva</i>morphological and molecular identificationBaltic freshwater ecosystems
spellingShingle Olena Kudlai
Vytautas Rakauskas
Nathan Jay Baker
Camila Pantoja
Olga Lisitsyna
Rasa Binkienė
Helminth Parasites of Invasive Freshwater Fish in Lithuania
Animals
aquatic invasion
<i>Neogobius</i> spp.
<i>Perccottus glenii</i>
<i>Pseudorasbora parva</i>
morphological and molecular identification
Baltic freshwater ecosystems
title Helminth Parasites of Invasive Freshwater Fish in Lithuania
title_full Helminth Parasites of Invasive Freshwater Fish in Lithuania
title_fullStr Helminth Parasites of Invasive Freshwater Fish in Lithuania
title_full_unstemmed Helminth Parasites of Invasive Freshwater Fish in Lithuania
title_short Helminth Parasites of Invasive Freshwater Fish in Lithuania
title_sort helminth parasites of invasive freshwater fish in lithuania
topic aquatic invasion
<i>Neogobius</i> spp.
<i>Perccottus glenii</i>
<i>Pseudorasbora parva</i>
morphological and molecular identification
Baltic freshwater ecosystems
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/22/3293
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