Parasites of Buccinum undatum (Mollusca: Prosobranchia) as biological indicators of sewage-sludge dispersal
Siddall, R.; Pike, A.W.; McVicar, A.H. (1993). Parasites of Buccinum undatum (Mollusca: Prosobranchia) as biological indicators of sewage-sludge dispersal. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K. 73(4): 931-948. https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0025315400034810
In: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. Cambridge University Press/Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom: Cambridge. ISSN 0025-3154; e-ISSN 1469-7769, more
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| Keywords |
Indicators > Pollution indicators
Interspecific relationships > Parasitism
Pollution effects
Taxa > Species > Sessile species
Waste disposal sites
Wastes > Sewage
Wastes > Sludge
Buccinum undatum Linnaeus, 1758 [WoRMS]; Gastropoda [WoRMS]; Trematoda [WoRMS]
ANE, British Isles, Scotland, Strathclyde, Clyde S [Marine Regions]
Marine/Coastal |
| Authors | | Top |
- Siddall, R.
- Pike, A.W.
- McVicar, A.H.
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| Abstract |
The common whelk, Buccinum undatum L., was selected as a model host-parasite system in a seasonal study at an "accumulating" sewage-sludge dump-site in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, where marked spatial concentration gradients exist for a variety of trace contaminants in the sediments. A total of 2808 whelks was examined from seven sites over 18 months. The prevalence of larval digenean parasites increased significantly with distance from the dump site from approximately 2% on its periphery to 15.1% at a reference site 3 km from the centre. At a second reference site, 13 km from the dumping area, 19.7% of Buccinum were parasitized. The effects of site, season, sex and parasitism on growth and condition of Buccinum and exposure to sewage sludge on the age-prevalence relationship and host response to infection were examined. Age-frequency distributions of Buccinum were used to compare various sources of mortalities (natural, fishing, pollution and parasite-induced). Patterns in parasite prevalence recorded at the dump site were not correlated with any natural environmental or host-related factors that were examined. The gradient in parasitism in Buccinum is considered to result principally from the toxic effects of trace metals on the micracidium, reducing parasite transmission to the molluscan host. |
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