An alien parasite affects local fauna—Confirmation of Sinergasilus major (Copepoda: Ergasilidae) switching hosts and infecting native Silurus glanis (Actinopterygii: Siluridae) in Hungary

Quinton Marco Dos Santos, Annemariè Avenant-Oldewage, Wojciech Piasecki, Kálmán Molnár, Boglárka Sellyei, Csaba Székely

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In 2016, an intense copepod infection was recorded from a reservoir in proximity to the Danube River in Hungary from visibly emaciated wels catfish, Silurus glanis. The parasite-induced pathology was described but parasite identity was not conclusive. Additional sample collections in 2017 and 2018 allowed for identification using both light and scanning electron microscopy, alongside genetic characterisation. The copepods were confirmed to be ergasilids, Sinergasilus major, distinctly different from any previous infection on silurids in Europe. This is the first record of this parasite from Hungary and the first host record from wels catfish.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)127-131
Number of pages5
JournalInternational Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife
Volume15
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2021

Keywords

  • Biological invasion
  • Copepoda
  • Danube river basin
  • Parasites
  • Pathology
  • Wels catfish

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Parasitology
  • Animal Science and Zoology
  • Infectious Diseases

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'An alien parasite affects local fauna—Confirmation of Sinergasilus major (Copepoda: Ergasilidae) switching hosts and infecting native Silurus glanis (Actinopterygii: Siluridae) in Hungary'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this