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.
Article PDF
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References cited
Anderson, R.C. 1984. The origins of zooparasitic nematodes. Can. J. Zool. 62: 317–328.
Anderson, R.C. 1988. Nematode transmission patterns. J. Parasitol. 74: 30–45.
Anderson, R.C. 1992. Nematode parasites of vertebrates, their development and transmission. C.A.B. International, Wallingford. 578 pp.
Baker, M.R. 1987. Synopsis of the Nematoda parasitic in amphibians and reptiles. Occasional Papers in Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. Johns. 325 pp.
Chitwood, B.G. & M.B. Chitwood. 1950 (ed.) Introduction to nematology. University Park Press, Baltimore. 213 pp.
Fuchs, A.G. 1937. Neue parasitishe und halbparasitische Nematoden bei Borkenkäfern und einige andere Nematoden I. Teil die Parasiten der Waldgärtner Myelophilus piniperda L. und minor Hartig und die Genera Rhabditis Dujardin, 1845 und Aphelenchus Bastian, 1865. Zool. Jarhb. 70: 291–380.
Hoffman, G.K. 1967. Parasites of North American freshwater fishes. University of California Press, Los Angeles. 486 pp.
Inglis, W.G. 1965. Patterns of evolution in parasitic nematodes. pp. 73–124. In: A.E.R. Taylor (ed.) Evolution of Parasites, Third Symposium of the British Society of Parasitology. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.
Margolis, L. & J.R. Arthur. 1979. Synopsis of the parasites of fishes of Canada. Bull. Fish. Res. Board Can. 199. 269 pp.
Maupas, E.F. La mue et l'enkystement chez les nématodes. Archs. Zool. exp. gén. 7: 563–628.
Moravec, F. 1992. Three new species of oxyuroid nematodes, including two new genera, from freshwater catfishes in Brazil. Systematic Parasit. 21: 189–201.
Moravec, F. 1994. Parasitic nematodes of freshwater fishes of Europe. Academia, Prague, and Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht. 473 pp.
Osche, G. 1958. Bieträge zur Morphologie, Ökologie, und Phylogenie der Ascaridoidea. Parallelem in der Evolution von Parasit und Wirt. Z. Parasit. 18: 479–492.
Steiner, G. 1917. Über die Verwandtschafts verhältnisse und die systematische Stellung der Mermithiden. Zool. Anz. 48: 263–267.
Wong, P.L., C.M. Bartlett, L.N. Measures, M.A. McNeill & R.C. Anderson. 1990. Nematodes of birds. pp. 1–44. In: M.J. Kennedy (ed.) Synopsis of the Parasites of Vertebrates of Canada, Alberta Agriculture, Animal Health Division, Edmonton.
Yamaguti, S. 1961. Systema helminthum, Vol. 3. The nematode parasites of vertebrates. Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York. 1261 pp.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Invited editorial
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
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
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00001690