Email this article (Login required)
Email the author (Login required) Spatial and temporal variation of the endoparasite community structure of intertidal fishes in central Chile: parasitological descriptors, species composition and nestedness
Submited: 2016-04-22 12:41:13 | Published: 2017-10-23 19:41:34
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3856/vol45-issue4-fulltext-10
Abstract
The parasite community structure in fish species of Chile have scarcely been analysed through time and locations, making it difficult to understand the spatio-temporal variation patterns. In this study, we investigated whether the endoparasitic community of three intertidal fishes in central Chile exhibited spatial or temporal changes. We collected a total of 954 individuals of Helcogrammoides chilensis, Gobiesox marmoratus and Scartichthys viridis in the intertidal rocky zone in localities close to the bays of Valparaíso (~32º45’S, 33º30’S) and of Concepción (~36º28’S, 36º41’S), during in 2013 and 2014. We analized the endoparasite community for each host according to their numerical descriptors, species composition and nestedness, comparing these communities as a function of both space and time. The average richness, abundance and diversity of the parasite infracommunity did not exhibit significant difference between localities (Valparaíso vs Concepción) for any of the host species. Only the parasitological descriptors of H. chilensis and G. marmoratus showed significant difference between years for Valparaíso. Similarity of parasite composition of each host species was low between years and geographical localities. The endoparasite infracommunity of S. viridis exhibited a nestedness pattern over time and space, unlike G. marmoratus that showed a random pattern over time and space. We concluded that spatio-temporal scales seem to be important factors for endoparasite community organization, but they affect different host species differently. The repeatability seems to be associated with the host species biology and the aggregate characteristics of the parasitic communities. However, our results suggest that other factors, such as environmental and/or ecological features, could impact on the community structure of parasites.
