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| Autores principales: | , |
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| Formato: | Artículo científico |
| Lenguaje: | en |
| Publicado: |
Journal of helminthology
2026
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42298894/ |
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- Avoidance of parasites by blue mussels : effect of parasite species and chemosensory cues. Kibak, P Mouritsen, K N Animals Mytilus edulis Trematoda Host-Parasite Interactions Avoidance Learning Cues Species Specificity The concept of 'ecology of fear' recognises the importance of non-consumptive effects of predators inspiring fear in their prey, but has subsequently been broadened to include the non-consumptive effects of parasites on their hosts. Here, we experimentally tested whether blue mussels () exhibit species-specific avoidance behaviour in response to infective transmission stages (cercariae) of three trematode species: and , both of which use blue mussels as hosts, and , which parasitises fish. Furthermore, we investigated whether avoidance behaviour could be triggered solely by chemical cues. The results show that mussels reduced clearance rates by 34% in the presence of alone and of 51% in the presence of and in sympatry, which was comparable to previously reported direct consumptive effects of infection on filtration activity. The presence of and alone had no significant effect on clearance rate. The observed reduction in filtration activity resulted in lower infection rates of experimental mussels. Moreover, mussels reduced clearance rates by 42% in the mere presence of chemical cues from the first intermediate host , while exudates of had no additional negative effect. It is evident that a non-consumptive parasite effect can significantly reduce the filtration activity of experimental blue mussels. Considering the magnitude of this reduction and the widespread occurrence of parasitic trematodes, it is reasonable to expect that fear of parasitism has ecological consequences for the functioning role of mussels.