Publications by authors named "Raphael Dodet"
Article Synopsis
- Acanthocephalans, unlike most endoparasites, have yellow to orange coloration due to their carotenoid content, but the purpose of this pigmentation is still not fully understood.
- The carotenoids may protect these parasites against UV radiation, particularly since they manipulate the behavior of their crustacean hosts, like Gammarus pulex, to expose them to more light.
- Research found significant differences in carotenoid composition among three acanthocephalans, with varying susceptibility to UVB radiation, highlighting potential evolutionary adaptations related to their coloration and host interactions.
Manipulation by parasites is a catchy concept that has been applied to a large range of phenotypic alterations brought about by parasites in their hosts. It has, for instance, been suggested that the carotenoid-based colour of acanthocephalan cystacanths is adaptive through increasing the conspicuousness of infected intermediate hosts and, hence, their vulnerability to appropriate final hosts such as fish predators. We revisited the evidence in favour of adaptive coloration of acanthocephalan parasites in relation to increased trophic transmission using the crustacean amphipod Gammarus pulex and two species of acanthocephalans, Pomphorhynchus laevis and Polymorphus minutus.
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