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The influence of Schistocephalus plerocercoids on the respiration of Gasterosteus and a possible resulting effect on the behavior of the fish

1971; NRC Research Press; Volume: 49; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1139/z71-052

1480-3283

R. J. G. Lester,

Fish Ecology and Management Studies

Undisturbed infected fish consumed more oxygen than would uninfected controls of the same weight of fish tissue, the difference presumably being due to the parasite. When the fish were swimming, the extra consumption rose rapidly with an increase in speed, particularly in heavily infected fish. This increased oxygen requirement may account for the spatial distribution of infected fish suggested by field data.