The biotope of branchial ectoparasites of fishes : factors of variations in the pattern sea bass - monogeneans

Patrick Silan (1) , Louis Euzet (2) , Claude Maillard (2) , Philippe Cabral (3)

1 MIO - Institut méditerranéen d'océanologie
2 Laboratoire de Parasitologie comparée
3 Laboratoire d'Ichtyologie et de Parasitologie générale

For the analysis of functional structure of communities, the ecologists are obliged to extend their investigations to the heterogeneity of their environment and colonized biotopes. The gills of sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax serve as a biotope for several ectoparasites ; some aspects of the heterogeneity of this biotope were studied quantitatively. The models expressing the variations of number of branchial filaments, and branchial area that can be colonized by monogeneans, were established in function of the lenght of fishes. Such biotopes being subjected to significant physical modifications, the effects of the latter over the organization of parasitic settlements are then discussed.

Mots clés: Branchial biotope; Dicentrachus labrax; parasite ecology; models; monogenea

Domaines: Biodiversité et Ecologie; Ecosystèmes; Parasitologie; Sciences et techniques des pêches

Patrick Silan, Louis Euzet, Claude Maillard, Philippe Cabral. The biotope of branchial ectoparasites of fishes : factors of variations in the pattern sea bass - monogeneans. Bulletin d'Ecologie, 1987, 18 (4), pp.383-391. ⟨hal-00931002⟩