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Developmental Instability in the Pacific Hake Parasitized by Myxosporeans Kudoa spp.
Author(s) -
Escós J.,
Alados C. L.,
Emlen J. M.,
Alderstein S.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
transactions of the american fisheries society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1548-8659
pISSN - 0002-8487
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8659(1995)124<0943:diitph>2.3.co;2
Subject(s) - merluccius , otolith , biology , hake , fishery , fluctuating asymmetry , population , fish <actinopterygii> , zoology , demography , sociology
A morphometric study of the otoliths of a population of Pacific hake Merluccius productus was conducted to detect developmental instability (DI) related to parasitism by Myxosporeans, Kudoa spp. We report a link between parasitism and DI, which we measured as fluctuating asymmetry by comparing the right–left differences in otolith shape, width, and weight in the same fish. Otolith shape provided the most sensitive measurement of DI asymmetry. Results suggest that Kudoa spp. could be a strong agent of selection in the Pacific hake.