Potential effects of acanthocephalan and microsporidian parasites on the trophic status of the freshwater isopod Asellus aquaticus.

ABSTRACT: Parasites are known for their ability to induce a variety of changes in their respective hosts, including morphological characteristics and trophic interactions. For many host-parasite relationships, however, these aspects are yet to be explored. We assessed the occurrence of acanthocephalans and microsporidians in a population of the isopod Asellus aquaticus from a stream in western Germany over several months. We aimed to contrast the trophic positions of Acanthocephala-infected, Microsporidia-infected and uninfected isopods by assessing the stable isotope ratios for nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) and carbon (δ¹³C). We found acanthocephalans of the genus Acanthocephalus as well as five different microsporidian species, three of which are novel isolates. Prevalences were generally

SUBMITTER: Doliwa A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12621548 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature