By modifying the behaviour and morphology of hosts, parasites may strongly impact host individuals, populations and communities. We examined the effects of a common trematode parasite on its snail host, Batillaria cumingi (Batillariidae). This widespread snail is usually the most abundant invertebrate in salt marshes and mudflats of the northeastern coast of Asia. More than half (52.6%, n=1360)...

Due to their potential for affecting the modulation of behaviour, effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the environment are particularly interesting regarding interspecies interactions and non-consumptive effects (NCEs) induced by predator cues in prey organisms. We evaluated the effects of sertraline (0.4, 40 ng/L, 40 µg/L) over 8 days on activity and habitat choice in ...

Migratory animals endure high stress during long-distance travel in order to benefit from spatio-temporally fluctuating resources, including food and shelter or from colonization of unoccupied habitats. Along with some fishes and shrimps, nerite snails in tropical to temperate freshwater systems are examples of amphidromous animals that migrate upstream for growth and reproduction after a marin...

We describe 15 new variable microsatellites in the freshwater snail Aplexa (Physa) marmorata, as well as conditions for multiplexing and simultaneous genotyping sets of loci. Two to 11 alleles were detected per locus over the five populations studied, and up to eight alleles per locus and population. The observed heterozygosity was extremely low, most probably as the consequence of high selfing...

In this paper, the third of a series dealing with the survey of freshwater gastropods of the state of Rio de Janeiro, the results of collections carried out in the Mesoregion Baixadas from 2000 to 2002 are presented. Twenty-two species, belonging to seven families, were found. As to the snail intermediate hosts of Schistosoma mansoni, the most frequent species was Biomphalaria tenagophila besid...

The freshwater snail Biomphalaria glabrata possesses a diverse family of fibrinogen-related proteins (FREPs), hemolymph polypeptides that consist of one or two amino-terminal immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) domains and a carboxyl-terminal fibrinogen domain. Here, we show that the IgSF1 domain of the FREP3 subfamily is diversified at the genomic level at higher rates than those recorded for co...

The Red Queen hypothesis is based on the assumption that parasites must genetically match their hosts to infect them successfully. If the parasites fail, they are assumed to be killed by the host's immune system. Here, we tested this using sympatric (mostly susceptible) and allopatric (mostly resistant) populations of a freshwater snail and its trematode parasite. We determined whether parasite...

We characterized 15 new variable microsatellites in the freshwater snail Pseudosuccinea (Lymnaea) columella, as well as conditions for multiplexing and simultaneously genotyping sets of loci. Two to six alleles were detected per locus over the six populations studied. Gene diversity ranged from 0.000 to 0.498, but essentially no heterozygous individuals were observed. This resulted in extremely...

Infection by trematode parthenitae (larval, asexual trematodes) has severe consequences for molluscan hosts, resulting in cessation of reproduction and early mortality. Here we present evidence that the freshwater snail Planorbella trivolvis can lose infections by trematode parthenitae. Of 8 P. trivolvis infected by reniferin parthenitae, 6 died within 2 wk, whereas the remaining 2 snails lost ...

Parasitism often influences the phenotype of individuals. Many of the resulting changes are due to changes in resource allocation that come with infection. Here we examine the effect of a trematode parasite on the shape and defence morphology of a New Zealand freshwater snail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum. The trematode Microphallus sp. asexually produces hundreds of metacercarial cysts in the snai...