TY - JOUR
T1 - Parasite-associated growth enhancement in a fish-cestode system
AU - Arnott, Stephen A.
AU - Barber, Iain
AU - Huntingford, Felicity A.
PY - 2000/4/7
Y1 - 2000/4/7
N2 - Parasites impose an energetic cost upon their hosts, yet, paradoxically, instances have been reported in which infection is associated with enhanced, rather than diminished, host growth rates. Field studies of these parasite effects are problematic, since the pre-infection condition of the hosts is generally unknown. Here, we describe a laboratory experiment in which the growth rate and body condition of 76 laboratory-reared three-spined stickleback fishes were examined before, during and after each fish was fed the infective stage of the parasitic cestode Schistocephalus solidus. Twenty-one of these fishes went on to become infected by the cestode. Fishes were individually housed and provided with an abundant food supply to eliminate the potentially masking effects of variable competitive ability. Infection occurred independently of fish gender, size, body condition or pre-exposure growth rate. After exposure to the cestode, infected fishes grew faster (excluding parasite weight) and maintained a similar or better body condition compared with uninfected fishes, despite developing enlarged spleens. The accelerated growth could not be explained by reduced gonadal development. This result, one of few demonstrations of parasite-associated growth enhancement in fishes, is discussed with respect to other such parasite systems.
AB - Parasites impose an energetic cost upon their hosts, yet, paradoxically, instances have been reported in which infection is associated with enhanced, rather than diminished, host growth rates. Field studies of these parasite effects are problematic, since the pre-infection condition of the hosts is generally unknown. Here, we describe a laboratory experiment in which the growth rate and body condition of 76 laboratory-reared three-spined stickleback fishes were examined before, during and after each fish was fed the infective stage of the parasitic cestode Schistocephalus solidus. Twenty-one of these fishes went on to become infected by the cestode. Fishes were individually housed and provided with an abundant food supply to eliminate the potentially masking effects of variable competitive ability. Infection occurred independently of fish gender, size, body condition or pre-exposure growth rate. After exposure to the cestode, infected fishes grew faster (excluding parasite weight) and maintained a similar or better body condition compared with uninfected fishes, despite developing enlarged spleens. The accelerated growth could not be explained by reduced gonadal development. This result, one of few demonstrations of parasite-associated growth enhancement in fishes, is discussed with respect to other such parasite systems.
KW - Cestode
KW - Gasterosteus
KW - Gigantism
KW - Growth
KW - Host parasite manipulation
KW - Schistocephalus solidus
KW - Body Weight
KW - Organ Size
KW - Male
KW - Cestoda/pathogenicity
KW - Gonads/growth & development
KW - Fish Diseases/parasitology
KW - Animals
KW - Fishes/growth & development
KW - Female
KW - Host-Parasite Interactions
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0034616377&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1098/rspb.2000.1052
DO - 10.1098/rspb.2000.1052
M3 - Article
C2 - 10821609
AN - SCOPUS:0034616377
SN - 0962-8452
VL - 267
SP - 657
EP - 663
JO - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
JF - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
IS - 1444
ER -