Analysis of the influence of the host body size on morphometrical characteristics of Ancylodiscoides siluri and Ancylodiscoides vistulensis Introduction

Monogeneans are the most common parasites on fishes. They parasitize on gills, fins, nostrils, skin and eyes of the host. European cat-fish (Silurus glanis L., 1758) is a species considered to be important aquaculture, as well as an object of fishery. Parasites on S. glanis might cause decreasing of its reproductive ability as well as fishs weight, which might have a negative effect on its economic value. One of the factors determining parasites wide spreading is their ability for adaptation to different environmental factors which, in the case of parasites, includes adaptation to the host individuals specific features. Developing of specific attachment organs to a great extend follows the necessity of adaptation to the specific way of life of the host species and though morphometrical indices of monogeneans hard parts are often used as diagnostical features, recent studies reveal that some species show variability in size and shape of those parts. According to Simkov et al., (2001) attachment to a larger host predetermines the necessity of developing of larger attachment organs only in the case of specialists. However, according to Timms and Read (1999) such adaptation can be observed in cases of generalists as well. The morphology of the attachment organs play a significant role in parasites specialization to the host species and their adaptation. (Rohde, 1977, 1979, 1989; Lambert, El Gharbi, 1995; imkov et al., 2001, 2002). The aim of the present study was to estimate the dependence of the size of sclerotised parts of Ancylodiscoides vistulensis and A. siluri, both specialists, on the body size of their specific host (Silurus glanis).

Material and Methods

The material for this study was collected from the Danube River during the period 2004 2007 . 31 specimens of S. glanis were examined The specimens of parasites found were examined on permanent slides in glycerine-gelatin, which were prepared after Ergens and Lom (1970). A total of 966 measurings from 110 specimens of parasites, respectively 59 specimens of . vistulensis and 51 specimens of . siluri were taken into account.

The parasites were examined on microscope Leica EZ4D and Leica DM5000B. Software Leica Application Suite V 3.1.0. LAS was used for measurings. All measurements are in mm. The names of morphometrical characteristics proposed by Kakacheva-Avramova (1983) were used. The manner of measuring of the sclerotized parts is shown in fig.1 and 2 (G u s s e v , 1985). On figures 3 and 4 photos of attachment organs and copulatory organ of A. siluri are shown and on figures 5 and 6 attachment organs and copulatory organ of A. vistulensis are represented. For statistical analysis Prism 4 was used. The distribution was estimated according to Kolmogorov - Smirnov and D`agostino-Pearson. Normal distribution was established for nine out of ten and six out of ten characteristics, respectively for A. siluri and A. vistulensis. For the normally distributed features Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated. Spearman coefficient was used for the rest of the features. Results Our measurements showed higher variability of sclerotized parts of A. siluri and A. vistulensis than previously reported by other authors. Comparison between our data and those of other autors is shown on tables 1 and 2 for A. siluri and A. vistulensis, respectively. Morphometrical characteristics of the two species are shown in tables 3 and 4. The number of measurements of each feature (n), average size standard deviation (X SD), coefficient of variation (CV %) and standard error (SE) are given. Significant difference between the extents of variation of the two considered species was observed. Five out of the ten measured characters of A. siluri showed low variability, since the coefficient of variation of those features was up to 10. These are the following features: total length of dorsal anchor, length of the root of anchor, length of the adjunct of the dorsal anchor, width of the transverse bar and length of the base of the copulatory organ. In the case of A. vistulensis only the total length of anchor showed low variability, with coefficient of variation 5,7. All the other characteristics were found to be variable to a significant degree. The data obtained about the correlation between the host body size and the parts of the haptor and copulatory organs of the two species are given in table 5. The values of the correlation coefficient (r) for each feature as well as the significance of the Pearsons coefficient ( < 0,05) are given. On figures 7 and 8 graphics of the correlation of the two characteristics of A. siluri which showed relatively higher dependence on the host body size are represented.

On figure 9 the dependence of the characteristic of A. vistulensis which showed relatively higher correlaton with the host body size is represented. The correlation coefficients for each pair of the observed characteristics were calculated independently for the both species. The obtained data about those dependences are shown in tables 6 and 7, respectively for A . siluri and A. vistulensis (see Fig. 1 for the symbols used). Conclusions

The studied characteristics were found to be far more variable in the case of A. vistulensis, compared to those in the case of A. siluri. A. vistulensis was found to be variable to a high degree with regard to almost all of the features, while in the case of A. siluri five out of ten features were found to be stable. The total length of dorsal anchor showed the highest degree of variability in both A. siluri and A. vistulensis. It is of interest that different degree of variability was observed regarding one and the same feature in the cases of the two species. The length of the adjunct of the dorsal anchor is a stable feature in case of A. siluri while one of the most variable features in the case of A. vistulensis. Generally speaking, the more variable a characteristic is, the higher the correlation between its size and the host body length could be expected. The number of the characteristics which depend on the host body size is larger in A. vistulensis, possibly due to the relatively higher variability of that species, as well as to the fact that generally the more variable features depend to a higher extend on the host body length. One of the features, showing the highest dependence on the host body length is in both A. vistulensis and A. siluri is the length of the point of anchor, but the correlation is positive in the case of A. vistulensis while negative in the case of A. siluri. That confirms the standpoint that the length of the point of anchor doesnt depend on the total length of anchor, hence these two parts of the anchor grow independent of each other (Caltran et al., 1995). Correlation between the total length of anchor, which is the most stable feature, and many of the other features was observed, while this feature itself doesnt depend on the host body size. Five out of ten and seven out of ten features respectively for A. vistulensis and A. siluri correlate with the total length of the anchor. Relatively high variability in the measurements of the chatacteristics of copulatory organ as well as correlation between some of these features and the host body size was observed for both species.