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The effects of the rhizocephalan parasites Peltogaster paguri Rathke and Gemmosaccus sulcatus (Lilljeborg) on five species of paguridan hosts (Crustacea Decapoda)
Nielsen, S-O. (1970). The effects of the rhizocephalan parasites Peltogaster paguri Rathke and Gemmosaccus sulcatus (Lilljeborg) on five species of paguridan hosts (Crustacea Decapoda). Sarsia 42(1): 17-32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00364827.1970.10411160
In: Sarsia. University of Bergen. Universitetsforlaget: Bergen. ISSN 0036-4827; e-ISSN 1503-1128, more
Peer reviewed article  

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Keywords
    Parasites
    Anapagurus laevis (Bell, 1845) [WoRMS]; Crustacea [WoRMS]; Decapoda [WoRMS]; Peltogaster paguri Rathke, 1842 [WoRMS]
    Marine/Coastal

Author  Top 
  • Nielsen, S-O.

Abstract
    The influence of rhizocephalan parasites on the external and internal morphology of their paguridan hosts was investigated in Anapagurus laevis, Pagurus prideauxii, and P. cuanensis infested by Gemmosaccus sulcatus, and in A. laevis, P. bernhardus, P. prideauxii, and P. pubescens infested by Peltogaster paguri. Parasitic castration, very often in combination with a modification of the secondary sex characters, was observed in all host species. The modifications of the secondary male characters mainly comprised a feminization of the pleopods through a prolongation of their endopodites, and sometimes also a development of an “extra pleopod” on the 2nd abdominal segment. In female hosts a retarded development of the pleopods, resulting in retention of the juvenile structure, was noted. The effects on the generative system were generally very profound. The male copulatory organ was often completely reduced in A. laevis, and in most species the gonopores were more or less affected. Entirely degenerated gonads and gonoducts occurred in all species, but the frequency of castrated specimens differed. Generally the ovaries appeared to be more affected than the testes. A good correlation between the degree of degeneration of copulatory organs or gonopores and that of gonads and gonoducts existed, while no parallellism was observed for the modifications of the pleopods and those of the generative system. In most instances hepatopancreas seemed to be unaffected by the parasitism, but sometimes a pronounced size reduction was recorded. All host species exhibited damage of the nervous tissue, caused by a direct penetration and root invasion in the posterior third of the thoracic ganglion and the anterior parts of the abdominal ventral nerve cord up to and including the 4th abdominal ganglion. It was shown that the two species of parasites differed with respect to the extent of modification they induced in the same host species, and also that the degree of modification induced by the same species of parasite, was different in different host species.

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