Glochidia Infection of Endemic Fishes from Lake Prespa, N. Macedonia
Large freshwater mussels (Unionida) are long-lived, have large bodies, and produce thousands to millions of larvae (glochidia) that usually must attach to host fish tissue to complete their life cycle. This is an obligate parasitic stage of mussel larvae. However, less than one in onemillion find a...
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Hydrobiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9917/2/1/3 |
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| author | Dijana Blazhekovikj-Dimovska Stojmir Stojanovski Jouni Taskinen Stoe Smiljkov Biljana Rimcheska |
| author_facet | Dijana Blazhekovikj-Dimovska Stojmir Stojanovski Jouni Taskinen Stoe Smiljkov Biljana Rimcheska |
| author_sort | Dijana Blazhekovikj-Dimovska |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Large freshwater mussels (Unionida) are long-lived, have large bodies, and produce thousands to millions of larvae (glochidia) that usually must attach to host fish tissue to complete their life cycle. This is an obligate parasitic stage of mussel larvae. However, less than one in onemillion find a suitable host and survive. The degree of host specificity varies among unionid species, from specialists that can successfully parasitize only one or a few closely related fish species to generalists that can complete development on a taxonomically broad range of fish species. In addition, freshwater mussels are among the most threatened groups of animals. This is due to habitat destruction, the introduction of non-native species, and the loss of host fish on which their larvae (glochidia) are obligate parasites. Glochidiosis harms fish by affecting their growth; on the other hand, freshwater mussels play an important role in freshwaters by improving water quality and ridding the water of bacteria, algae, and pollutants, they are an indicator species of water quality. During our parasitological survey of fish from the Macedonian part of Lake Prespa in April 2022, many glochidia were found on the gills, skin, and fins of two endemic fishes, Prespa roach (<i>Rutilus prespensis</i>) and Prespa nase (<i>Chondrostoma prespense</i>), in the range of tens to thousands on one host. We thus recorded these two endemic species as new hosts of <i>A. cygnea</i>. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:28:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cee5eb1e44ba45e1bb53e129a7f63eaa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-9917 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:28:30Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Hydrobiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-cee5eb1e44ba45e1bb53e129a7f63eaa2023-11-17T11:25:23ZengMDPI AGHydrobiology2673-99172022-12-0121364310.3390/hydrobiology2010003Glochidia Infection of Endemic Fishes from Lake Prespa, N. MacedoniaDijana Blazhekovikj-Dimovska0Stojmir Stojanovski1Jouni Taskinen2Stoe Smiljkov3Biljana Rimcheska4Faculty of Biotechnical Sciences, University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Partizanska bb., 7000 Bitola, North MacedoniaHydrobiological Institute, Naum Ohridski Str. 50, 6000 Ohrid, North MacedoniaDepartment of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, 40014 Jyvaskyla, FinlandFaculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Institute of Biology, Arhimedova Str., 1000 Skopje, North MacedoniaDepartment of Aquatic Ecosystems, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., 1000 Sofia, BulgariaLarge freshwater mussels (Unionida) are long-lived, have large bodies, and produce thousands to millions of larvae (glochidia) that usually must attach to host fish tissue to complete their life cycle. This is an obligate parasitic stage of mussel larvae. However, less than one in onemillion find a suitable host and survive. The degree of host specificity varies among unionid species, from specialists that can successfully parasitize only one or a few closely related fish species to generalists that can complete development on a taxonomically broad range of fish species. In addition, freshwater mussels are among the most threatened groups of animals. This is due to habitat destruction, the introduction of non-native species, and the loss of host fish on which their larvae (glochidia) are obligate parasites. Glochidiosis harms fish by affecting their growth; on the other hand, freshwater mussels play an important role in freshwaters by improving water quality and ridding the water of bacteria, algae, and pollutants, they are an indicator species of water quality. During our parasitological survey of fish from the Macedonian part of Lake Prespa in April 2022, many glochidia were found on the gills, skin, and fins of two endemic fishes, Prespa roach (<i>Rutilus prespensis</i>) and Prespa nase (<i>Chondrostoma prespense</i>), in the range of tens to thousands on one host. We thus recorded these two endemic species as new hosts of <i>A. cygnea</i>.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9917/2/1/3swan musselglochidia parasitescyprinid fish<i>Rutilus prespensis</i><i>Chondrostoma prespense</i> |
| spellingShingle | Dijana Blazhekovikj-Dimovska Stojmir Stojanovski Jouni Taskinen Stoe Smiljkov Biljana Rimcheska Glochidia Infection of Endemic Fishes from Lake Prespa, N. Macedonia Hydrobiology swan mussel glochidia parasites cyprinid fish <i>Rutilus prespensis</i> <i>Chondrostoma prespense</i> |
| title | Glochidia Infection of Endemic Fishes from Lake Prespa, N. Macedonia |
| title_full | Glochidia Infection of Endemic Fishes from Lake Prespa, N. Macedonia |
| title_fullStr | Glochidia Infection of Endemic Fishes from Lake Prespa, N. Macedonia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Glochidia Infection of Endemic Fishes from Lake Prespa, N. Macedonia |
| title_short | Glochidia Infection of Endemic Fishes from Lake Prespa, N. Macedonia |
| title_sort | glochidia infection of endemic fishes from lake prespa n macedonia |
| topic | swan mussel glochidia parasites cyprinid fish <i>Rutilus prespensis</i> <i>Chondrostoma prespense</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9917/2/1/3 |
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