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DAO
Diseases of Aquatic Organisms

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DAO 58:209-213 (2004)  -  doi:10.3354/dao058209

Effects of the parasite Probopyrus ringueleti (Isopoda) on glucose, glycogen and lipid concentration in starved Palaemonetes argentinus (Decapoda)

Carla Amorim Neves1, Maria Paz Sampedro Pastor2, Luiz Eduardo Maia Nery1, Euclydes A. Santos1,*

1Laboratório de Zoofisiologia, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Fundação Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Cx. Postal 474, CEP96201900, Rio Grande RS, Brazil
2Centro Oceanográfico de A Coruña, Muelle de Ánimas s/n, 15001 A Coruña, Spain
*Corresponding author. Email:

ABSTRACT: Effects of the branchial ectoparasite isopod Probopyrus ringueleti on the utilization of glucose, glycogen and total lipids on starved shrimp Palaemonetes argentinus were evaluated, as well as the isopod responses to host starvation. Shrimp were maintained for 12 d under laboratory conditions. Parasitized and unparasitized shrimp were starved for 15 d, and glucose, glycogen and total lipid concentrations were determined at 0, 24, 72, 168 and 360 h of starvation. During starvation, control animals (unparasitized) preferentially metabolized lipids and preserved their carbohydrate reserves. Parasitized shrimp had lower lipid concentrations than unparasitized shrimp, and preferentially metabolized carbohydrates. Bopyrids displayed a similar response, with glycogen depleted at the beginning of the starvation period followed by subsequent reestablishment. Our results demonstrated that bopyrids affect host energy allocation. The lower initial lipid concentration of parasitized shrimp suggested that the host is disadvantaged from both food deprivation and isopod nutritional demands. A possible dependency of P. ringueleti on the mechanisms that control host metabolic processes was also suggested.


KEY WORDS: Palaemonetes · Probopyrus · Parasitism · Carbohydrates · Lipids · Starvation


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