Premium
A trypanosome from the plaice, Pleuronectes platessa L.
Author(s) -
Cottrell B. J.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1977.tb04096.x
Subject(s) - pleuronectes , biology , zoology , fishery , parasite hosting , trypanosoma , flagellate , globulin , fish <actinopterygii> , virology , immunology , botany , world wide web , computer science
The results of a 12 month study of Trypanosoma platessae Lebailly (1904), a haemoflagellate parasitising the plaice, Pleuronectes platessa L., are presented. The morphological features of the trypanosome are described, with experimental investigations of the host specificity of T, platessae . The flagellate occurred at low parasitaemias in wild plaice with a seasonal variation in the numbers of infected hosts, the percentage of parasitised fish reaching a maximum of 20 % in March and declining in the summer months. Attempts to establish T. platessae in the laboratory, by means of passage of infected blood, gave inconsistent results. Elevated levels of β‐globulins were detected in the sera of T. platessae infected plaice, and it is suggested that this may be associated with antibody secretion to the parasite.