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Parasite assemblages of Cape horse mackerel (Trachurus capensis Castelnau, 1861) from the northern and southern Benguela

A survey of parasites infecting Cape horse mackerel, Trachurus capensis Castelnau, 1861, from both the southern and northern Benguela ecosystems was conducted to test the hypothesis of discrete stocks in each subsystem. One hundred and twenty five T. capensis of two size classes were collected off t...

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Main Author: Le Roux, Jessica Louise
Other Authors: Reed, Cecile C
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Biological Sciences 2014
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access_status_str Open Access
author Le Roux, Jessica Louise
author2 Reed, Cecile C
author_browse Le Roux, Jessica Louise
Reed, Cecile C
author_facet Reed, Cecile C
Le Roux, Jessica Louise
author_sort Le Roux, Jessica Louise
collection Thesis
description A survey of parasites infecting Cape horse mackerel, Trachurus capensis Castelnau, 1861, from both the southern and northern Benguela ecosystems was conducted to test the hypothesis of discrete stocks in each subsystem. One hundred and twenty five T. capensis of two size classes were collected off the coasts of South Africa and Namibia and their bodies and organs were examined for parasitic infections. Differences in parasite assemblages between smaller and larger T. capensis within each subsystem, between T. capensis of each size class from the two subsystems, and between larger fish collected in different seasons within the southern Benguela, were assessed. A total of twenty-nine parasite species were found infecting T. capensis. Ten of these were identified to species level (Ceratomyxa australis, Davisia donecae, Ectenurus lepidus, Gastrocotyle trachuri, Goussia cruciata, Lernanthropus trachuri, Nybelinia lingualis, Rhadinorhynchus cadenati, Scolex pleronectis and Tergestia laticollis), three to genus level (Anisakis sp., Caligus sp. and Kudoa sp.). Significant spatial differences in T. capensis parasites were observed, with larger fish differing in infection intensity and abundance of Anisakis sp. and infection intensity of L. trachuri. Significant spatial variation in parasites was also observed in smaller fish, which differed in Anisakis sp. abundance, L. trachuri infection intensity and abundance, G. trachuri abundance and G. cruciata infection intensity and abundance. Significant fish size effects on T. capensis parasites were also observed in both subsystems. Anisakis sp. infection intensity and abundance and G. cruciata abundance differed significantly between larger and smaller fish from the southern Benguela. Larger and smaller fish from the northern Benguela differed in G. cruciata infection intensity and abundance, G. trachuri abundance and L. trachuri abundance. No seasonal differences in parasites of larger T. capensis from the southern Benguela were observed. By using a discriminant function analysis parasite abundance data correctly assigned 92% of larger fish and 96% of smaller fish to their respective southern and northern Benguela sub-populations or stocks. These results show that analyses of parasites can be used to infer population structure and support the hypothesis of distinct T. capensis stocks in the northern and southern Benguela subsystems.
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
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license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2014
publishDateRange 2014
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publisher Department of Biological Sciences
publisherStr Department of Biological Sciences
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source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/6673 Parasite assemblages of Cape horse mackerel (Trachurus capensis Castelnau, 1861) from the northern and southern Benguela Le Roux, Jessica Louise Reed, Cecile C Van der Lingen, Carl D A survey of parasites infecting Cape horse mackerel, Trachurus capensis Castelnau, 1861, from both the southern and northern Benguela ecosystems was conducted to test the hypothesis of discrete stocks in each subsystem. One hundred and twenty five T. capensis of two size classes were collected off the coasts of South Africa and Namibia and their bodies and organs were examined for parasitic infections. Differences in parasite assemblages between smaller and larger T. capensis within each subsystem, between T. capensis of each size class from the two subsystems, and between larger fish collected in different seasons within the southern Benguela, were assessed. A total of twenty-nine parasite species were found infecting T. capensis. Ten of these were identified to species level (Ceratomyxa australis, Davisia donecae, Ectenurus lepidus, Gastrocotyle trachuri, Goussia cruciata, Lernanthropus trachuri, Nybelinia lingualis, Rhadinorhynchus cadenati, Scolex pleronectis and Tergestia laticollis), three to genus level (Anisakis sp., Caligus sp. and Kudoa sp.). Significant spatial differences in T. capensis parasites were observed, with larger fish differing in infection intensity and abundance of Anisakis sp. and infection intensity of L. trachuri. Significant spatial variation in parasites was also observed in smaller fish, which differed in Anisakis sp. abundance, L. trachuri infection intensity and abundance, G. trachuri abundance and G. cruciata infection intensity and abundance. Significant fish size effects on T. capensis parasites were also observed in both subsystems. Anisakis sp. infection intensity and abundance and G. cruciata abundance differed significantly between larger and smaller fish from the southern Benguela. Larger and smaller fish from the northern Benguela differed in G. cruciata infection intensity and abundance, G. trachuri abundance and L. trachuri abundance. No seasonal differences in parasites of larger T. capensis from the southern Benguela were observed. By using a discriminant function analysis parasite abundance data correctly assigned 92% of larger fish and 96% of smaller fish to their respective southern and northern Benguela sub-populations or stocks. These results show that analyses of parasites can be used to infer population structure and support the hypothesis of distinct T. capensis stocks in the northern and southern Benguela subsystems. 2014-08-22T10:39:16Z 2014-08-22T10:39:16Z 2013 Master Thesis Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6673 eng application/pdf Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Le Roux, Jessica Louise
Parasite assemblages of Cape horse mackerel (Trachurus capensis Castelnau, 1861) from the northern and southern Benguela
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Parasite assemblages of Cape horse mackerel (Trachurus capensis Castelnau, 1861) from the northern and southern Benguela
title_full Parasite assemblages of Cape horse mackerel (Trachurus capensis Castelnau, 1861) from the northern and southern Benguela
title_fullStr Parasite assemblages of Cape horse mackerel (Trachurus capensis Castelnau, 1861) from the northern and southern Benguela
title_full_unstemmed Parasite assemblages of Cape horse mackerel (Trachurus capensis Castelnau, 1861) from the northern and southern Benguela
title_short Parasite assemblages of Cape horse mackerel (Trachurus capensis Castelnau, 1861) from the northern and southern Benguela
title_sort parasite assemblages of cape horse mackerel trachurus capensis castelnau 1861 from the northern and southern benguela
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6673
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