Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1978 The Life Cycle and Ecology of Octospiniferoides Chandleri Bullock 1957 (Acanthocephala). David Joseph Demont Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Demont, David Joseph, "The Life Cycle and Ecology of Octospiniferoides Chandleri Bullock 1957 (Acanthocephala)." (1978). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 3276. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/3276 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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ZEFB ROAD, ANN ARBOR, Ml 48106 18 BEDFORD ROW, LONDON WC1 R 4FJ, ENGLAND DEMONTg DAVID JOSEPH THE LIFE CYCLE AND ECOLOGY OF OCTOSPINIFEROiDES CHANDLER! BULLOCK 1957 (ACANTHOCEPHALA I> THE LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY AND AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COL-* PH«D-a 1 9 7 8 University M icrofilm s International 3GO N ZLLB HOAD, ANN ARBOR, Ml 48106 © 1979 DAVID JOSEPH DEMONT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED THE LIFE CYCLE AND ECOLOGY OF Octospiniferoides chandleri BULLOCK 1957 (ACANTHOCEPHALA) A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Marine Sciences by David Joseph DeMont B.A., San Jose State College, 1967 M.S., Humboldt State College, 1971 December 1978 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am indebted to my major professor, Dr. C. F. Bryan, who sustained me with his confidence and assured my financial support throughout the course of this study. I thank my dissertation committee members, Drs. J. M. Coleman, L. L. Glasgow, J. G. Gosselink, H. H. Roberts, and J. H. Stone for their assistance in defining the direction and scope of my research and for their valuable contributions to the final draft of the dissertation. Special thanks are due to Dr. K. C. Corkum who provided me with more support and assistance than is normally required from a minor advisor. My gratitude is extended to Dr. J. Van Conner for many stimulating discussions, identification of fishes, and for frequent assistance during the field portion of the study. L. T. Beck, V. Guillory, G. Horst, S. J. Levine, T. O'Brien, H. J. Walker and especially D. S. Sabins all collected fishes for me at some time during the study. Dr. K. L. Koonce, P. Downey, and especially R. P. Gallagher helped me with the data analysis. Thank you all, gentlemen. I wish to thank Drs. J. Avault and D. D. Culley of the L.S.U. fisheries faculty for their donation of laboratory space and equipment. I extend thanks to Dr. W. A. Van Den Bold for confirming my identi­ fication of Cypridopsis vidua and for his assistance in enlisting Dr. D. McGreggor of the Argonne National Laboratory to identify Physocypria p u s t u l o s a . The dissertation would never have reached final form without the able assistance of my wife, Astrid, who typed early drafts and Mrs. Kitty Conner who typed the final. Thank you, ladies. ii Financial support for the study was supplied through research grants from Gulf States Utilities Co., Louisiana Department of Wild­ life and Fisheries, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the East Baton Rouge City-Parish Government. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................... ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................. iv LIST OF TABLES ................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES. ................... vii ABSTRACT .......................................................... ix INTRODUCTION ...................................................... 1 The Study Area ................................................. 2 B a c k g r o u n d ...................................................... 11 Acanthocephala General .................................. 11 The Parasite - Octospiniferoides chandleri .......... 13 The Host - Gambusia affinis affinis ................... 14 METHODS ............................................................. 19 Examination of Fishes ....................................... 19 Life Cycle Investigation ............................... 20 Seasonal Dynamics ............................................ 22 Data Treatment ................................................. 23 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION .......................................... 26 Life Cycle and Development. ............................. 26 Development in Ostracod H o s t ........................... 26 Development in Fish H o s t ................................ 30 Natural Transfer of Infections ........................ 43 iv Page Spatial Distributions ....................................... 49 Distributions Among Habitats and Host Species. 49 Interspecific Competition ............................... 53 Frequency Distributions ................................. 58 Effect of Host Size and Sex ............................. 63 Site Preference ........................ 55 Summary of Spatial Distributions ...................... 70 Temporal Distributions ....................................... 71 Seasonal Changes in Abundance and Maturation .... 71 Recruitment and Mortality Rates ........................ 83 Agreement of Parasite and Host Seasonal Patterns . 89 Effect of Host Feeding Behavior ........................ 94 Demography ......................................... 96 Summary of Temporal Distributions ...................... 101 Effects upon the H o s t ....................................... 104 Effect upon Fat Storage ................................. 104 Effect upon Fecundity .................................... 109 Effect upon Host Population ............................ 110 Summary of Ch chandleri Effects .......................... 119 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ......................................... 120 Life C y c l e ..................................................... 120 Spatial Distributions ....................................... 120 Temporal Distributions ............................. 121 Effects upon the H o s t ....................................... 121 LITERATURE CITED ................................................. 122 v LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Neoechinorhynchid acanthocephalan life cycles which have been confirmed by experimentation. 15 2. Incidence of Octospiniferoides chandleri and Neoechinorhynchus cylindratus infection in the ostracods Cypridopsls vidua and Physocypria pustulosa collected at two levels in Tramline Pond, summer and fall, 1975. 44 3. Distribution of Octospiniferoides chandleri among fishes in the Alligator Bayou drainage. 50 4. Distribution of Octospiniferoides chandleri infections in Gambusia affinis among some southern Louisiana aquatic habitats. 52 5. Incidence and intensity of Homalometron armatum and Octospiniferoides chandleri from experimental concurrent infections in Gambusia affinis. 57 6. Distribution statistics for the most abundant helminth endoparasites of Gambusia affinis in Tramline Pond. 62 7. Seasonal changes in population parameters and maturation in acanthocephalan parasites of fishes. 80 8. Reproductive states of female Gambusia affinis larger than 26 mm (total length) in Tramline Pond, October, 1974 - December, 1975. 90 9. Reproductive states of female Gambusia affinis larger than 26 mm (total length) in Alligator Bayou and