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Diseases of Aquatic Organisms

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DAO 70:123-127 (2006)  -  doi:10.3354/dao070123

Population dynamics of the water mite Unionicola arcuata (Unionicolidae) in the freshwater bivalve Cristaria plicata (Unionidae) in Poyang Lake, eastern China

Chungen Wen1,2, P. Nie1,*, Zhimin Zhu2

1State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology and Laboratory of Fish Diseases, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei Province 430072, PR China
2Department of Bioscience, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province 330047, PR China
*Corresponding author. Email:

ABSTRACT: Population dynamics of the water mite Unionicola arcuata were investigated in the freshwater bivalve Cristaria plicata during the period from January to December 2002 in Poyang Lake, East China. A pattern of seasonal variation was observed, with prevalence and abundance peaking in early spring and autumn. The number of mites in individual hosts was significantly correlated with the size, but not with the sex, of bivalves. The change in infection level of mites on different infection sites in C. plicata was significant, with >58% of the mites found on the outer and inner gills, indicating that U. arcuata shows site preference.


KEY WORDS: Water mites · Unionicola arcuata · Freshwater bivalve · Cristaria plicata · Population dynamics


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