Skip to main content
  • North Sea Research: Marine Ecophysiology, Parasite-Host Relationships
  • Published:

Population dynamics and parasitation of planktonic and epibenthic crustaceans in the Baltic Schlei fjord

Abstract

The planktonic and epibenthic crustacean fauna from two sites of the brackish Schlei fjord, Northern Germany, was investigated over a six-month period. Calanoid and cyclopoid copepods were more abundant in lower salinities, whereas, benthic decapods, isopods and amphipods prevailed in the site of higher salinity. Cestodan larvae were found only in spring which may be due to the timing of the respective life-cycles. Parasites of benthic crustaceans, mostly digenean metacercariae but also cestodans, acanthocephalans and nematodes, appeared from spring to late summer. Decreasing salinities caused lower intensities of the most abundant parasite,Maritrema subdolum; only the true brackish-water species among the hosts were more heavily infested than those found in higher salinities. The correlation of parasite size and host size at infestation became apparent. Therefore,Crangon crangon is an optimal host for the largePodocotyle atomon metacercariae. Coevolutive trends between some hosts and parasites are made evident.

Literature Cited

  • Berg, J., 1979. Discussion of the methods of investigating the food of fishes, with reference to a preliminary study of the food ofGobiusculus flavescens (Gobiidae). — Mar. Biol.50, 263–273.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christiansen, B., 1988. Vergleichende Untersuchungen zur Populationsdynamik vonEurytemora affinis undAcartia tonsa in der Schlei. Diss., Univ. Hamburg, 147 pp.

  • Esch, G. W., Shostak, A. W., Marcogliese, D. J. & Goater, T. M., 1990. Patterns and processes in helminth parasite communities: an overview. In: Parasite communities: patterns and processes. Ed. by G. W. Esch, A. O. Bush & J. M. Aho. Chapman & Hall, London, 1–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gollasch, S., 1992. Populationsdynamik und Parasitenbefall von Bivalvia, benthischen und planktischen Crustacea in der Ostseeförde Schlei. Dipl. Arb., Univ. Hamburg, 175 pp.

  • Kesting, V., 1992. Untersuchungen zur Parasitenfauna von Kleinfischen und Schnecken der Ostseeförde Schlei. Dipl. Arb., Univ. Hamburg, 183 pp.

  • Kreft, K. A., 1991. Befalls- und Populationsdynamik ausgewählter digener Trematoden und ihrer Wirte in der Schlei. Diss., Univ. Hamburg, 289 pp.

  • Lauckner, G., 1992. Parasitenbefall der StrandkrabbeCarcinus maenas — ökologische Konsequenzen. — Jber. Biol. Anst. Helgoland1991, 25–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lenz, J., 1970. Zooplankton. — Kieler Meeresforsch.26, 203–213.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacKenzie, K. & Gibson, D., 1970. Ecological studies of some parasites of plaicePleuronectes platessa L. and flounderPlatichthys flesus (L.). — Symp. Br. Soc. Parasitol.8, 1–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nellen, W., 1967. Ökologie und Fauna (Makroevertebraten) der brackigen und hypertrophen Ostseeförde Schlei. — Arch. Hydrobiol.63, 273–309.

    Google Scholar 

  • Odening, K., 1974. Ontogenese und Lebenszyklus bei Helminthen und ihre Widerspiegelung in der Wirtsklassifikation. — Zool. Anz.192, 43–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reimer, L. W., 1970. Digene Trematoden und Cestoden der Ostseefische als natürliche Fischmarken. — Parasit. SchrReihe20, 1–144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reimer, L. W., 1983. Zur Entwicklung der Lebenszyklen bei digenen Trematoden und Cestoden. — Wiss. Z. pädag. Hochsch. Güstrow (Math.-nat. Fak.)21, 293–306.

    Google Scholar 

  • Remane, A., 1958. Ökologie des Brackwassers. — Binnengewässer12, 1–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt-Moser, R. & Westphal, D., 1981. Predation ofPomatoschistus microps Krøyer andP. minutus Pallas (Gobiidae, Pisces) on macro- and meiofauna in the brackish fjord Schlei. — Kieler Meeresforsch. (Sonderh.)5, 471–478.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schnack, D. & Böttger, R., 1981. Interrelation between invertebrate plankton and larval fish development in the Schlei fjord, western Baltic. — Kieler Meeresforsch. (Sonderh.)5, 202–210.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schriever, G., 1974. Die sessile, hemisessile und vagile Hartbodenfauna der Schlei im ökologischen Vergleich. — Kieler Meeresforsch.30, 80–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thienemann, A., 1939. Grundzüge einer allgemeinen Ökologie. — Arch. Hydrobiol.35, 267–285.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wendland, W., 1985. Über das Auftreten digener Trematoden und ihrer Zwischenwirte Schnecken, Crustacea und Kleinfische, in der Schlei unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Microphalliden. Dipl.Arb., Univ. Hamburg, 136 pp.

  • Zander, C. D., 1979. On the biology and food of small-sized fish from the North and Baltic Sea areas. II. Investigation of a shallow stony ground off Mon, Denmark. — Ophelia18, 179–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zander, C. D. & Döring, W., 1989. The role of gobies (Gobiidae, Teleostei) in the food web of shallow habitats of the Baltic Sea. In: Proceedings of the 21st European Marine Biology Symposium. Ed. by R. Z. Klekowski, E. Styczyńska-Jurewicz & L. Falkowski. Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Gdansk, 499–508.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zander, C. D. & Westphal, D., 1991. Kleinfischparasiten der Ostseeförde Schlei und ihre Einbindung in die Nahrungskette. — Seevögel12, 4–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zander, C. D. & Westphal, D., 1992. Nahrungsbeziehungen von vier euryhalinen Kleinfischarten der Ostseeförde Schlei. — Zool. Jb. (Abt. Syst. Ökol. Geogr. Tiere)119, 339–364.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zander, C. D., Groenewold, S. & Strohbach, U., 1994. Parasite transfer from crustacean to fish hosts in the Lübeck Bight, SW Baltic Sea. — Helgoländer Meeresunters.48, 89–105.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zander, C. D., Kollra, H. G., Antholz, B., Meyer, W. & Westphal, D., 1984. Small-sized euryhaline fish as intermediate hosts of the digenetic trematodeCryptocotyle concavum — Helgoländer Meeresunters.37, 433–443.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zander, C. D., Strohbach, U. & Groenewold, S., 1993. The importance of gobies (Gobiidae, Teleostei) as hosts and transmitters of parasites in the SW Baltic. — helgoländer Meeresunters.,47, 81–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gollasch, S., Zander, C.D. Population dynamics and parasitation of planktonic and epibenthic crustaceans in the Baltic Schlei fjord. Helgolander Meeresunters 49, 759–770 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02368399

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02368399

Keywords