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Impacts of Multispecies Parasitism on Juvenile Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in Oregon

ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University

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Title Impacts of Multispecies Parasitism on Juvenile Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in Oregon
Names Ferguson, Jayde (creator)
Romer, Jeremy (creator)
Sifneos, Jean C. (creator)
Madsen, Lisa (creator)
Schreck, Carl B. (creator)
Glynn, Michael (creator)
Kent, Michael L. (creator)
Date Issued 2011-07-01 (iso8601)
Note NEWS COVERAGE: A news release based on this journal publication, which is written for a lay audience and has been approved by an author of the study, is available online: http://bit.ly/nGB6XD
Abstract We are studying the impacts of parasites on threatened stocks of Oregon coastal coho
salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). In our previous studies, we have found high infections of
digeneans and myxozoans in coho salmon parr from the lower main stem of West Fork Smith
River (WFSR), Oregon. In contrast parr from tributaries of this river, and outmigrating smolts,
harbor considerably less parasites. Thus, we have hypothesized that heavy parasite burdens in
parr from this river are associated with poor overwintering survival. The objective of the current
study was to ascertain the possible effects these parasites have on smolt fitness. We captured parr
from the lower main stem and tributaries of WFSR and held them in the laboratory to evaluate
performance endpoints of smolts with varying degrees of infection by three digeneans
(Nanophyetus salmincola, Apophallus sp., and neascus) and one myxozoan (Myxobolus
insidiosus). The parameters we assessed were weight, fork length, growth, swimming stamina,
and gill Na+,K+36 -ATPase activity. We repeated our study on the subsequent year class and with
hatchery reared coho salmon experimentally infected with N. salmincola. The most significant
associations between parasites and these performance or fitness endpoints were observed in the
heavily infected groups from both years. We found that all parasite species, except neascus, were
negatively associated with fish fitness. This was corroborated for N. salmincola causing reduced
growth with our experimental infection study. Parasites were most negatively associated with
growth and size, and these parameters likely influenced the secondary findings with swimming
stamina and ATPase activity levels.
Genre Article
Topic Parasites
Identifier Ferguson, Jayde A., Romer, Jeremy, Sifneos, Jean C., Madsen, Lisa, Schreck, Carl B., Glynn, Michael, Kent, Michael L., Impacts of Multispecies Parasitism on Juvenile Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in Oregon, Aquaculture (2011), doi: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2011.07.003

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