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Experimental studies on the effect of Gyrodactylus colemanensis and G. salmonis (Monogenea) on density of mucous cells in the epidermis of fry of Oncorhynchus mykiss
Author(s) -
Wells P. R.,
Cone D. K.
Publication year - 1990
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.1095-8649.1990.tb05892.x
Subject(s) - monogenea , biology , epidermis (zoology) , parasite hosting , fish fin , zoology , gyrodactylus , anatomy , gill , fish <actinopterygii> , fishery , world wide web , computer science
Fry of Oncorliynclius mykiss were experimentally infected with the ectoparasites Gyroducrylus rolenirmensis and Gyroducrylus salnionis (Monogenea) and changes in mucous cell density in the epidermis covering the caudal fin were monitored during an ensuing 42 day epidemic. At 10° C, infections of G. colemanensis rose to a recorded peak of 90 to 1 15 worms on day 27 post‐infection and then declined toward extinction. Intensity of G. salmonis remained low throughout the experiment. Infection produced no clinical signs of disease and did not influence fry growth or survival. However, infected fish did have a 50% reduction in the number of mucous cells in the epidermis of the fin. The changes were first detected on day 24 post‐infection and became increasingly pronounced during the subsequent 1 day period when parasite numbers declined drastically. The study hypothesizes that parasite activity on the surface indirectly leads to reduction in mucous cells through disruption of cell dynamics within the epidermis.