Why do fish have so few roundworm (nematode) parasites? (original) (raw)

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Synopsis

Although they are the oldest and most diverse members of the subphylum, the fishes have relatively few nematode parasites in comparison with other vertebrate classes. It is hypothesized that this paucity of parasite species has occurred because nematode parasites first evolved in terrestrial hosts and only a few lines of these parasites were able to transfer to fish after the appearance of heteroxeny (use of intermediate hosts) and paratenesis (use of transport hosts). The inability of nematodes to initiate parasitism in aquatic ecosystems restricted fish parasites mainly to forms first adapted to terrestrial vertebrates and at the same time deprived large groups of aquatic invertebrates such as the crustaceans, annelids and molluscs of a nematode parasite fauna.

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1. Department of Zoology, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 2W1
   Roy C. Anderson

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Anderson, R.C. Why do fish have so few roundworm (nematode) parasites?.Environ Biol Fish 46, 1–5 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00001690

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• Received: 01 August 1995
• Accepted: 01 September 1995
• Issue date: May 1996
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00001690

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