Parasite communities associated with the Cape gurnard (Chelidonichthys capensis) and the lesser gurnard (C. queketti) from South Africa

dc.contributor.advisorReed, Cecile C
dc.contributor.advisorvan der Lingen, Carl D
dc.contributor.authorMackintosh, Amy Leigh
dc.date.accessioned2020-02-17T12:40:37Z
dc.date.available2020-02-17T12:40:37Z
dc.date.issued2019
dc.date.updated2020-02-17T10:06:20Z
dc.description.abstractThe Cape gurnard (Chelidonichthys capensis) and the lesser gurnard (Chelidonichthys queketti) are two members of the Triglidae family found off Southern Africa. Chelidonichthys capensis is distributed from depths of 10 m to 390 m in subtropical waters between Namibia and Mozambique, while C. queketti is distributed from 0 m to 150 m in subtropical waters from Namibia to southern Mozambique. Little is known about the biology, ecology and life cycles of these two species. Additionally, the parasite community of these two gurnards has not yet been surveyed, although there are records of a number of copepods infecting both species that have been documented for taxonomic purposes. This study aims to examine the macroparasite assemblages of both gurnard species from the west and south coasts of South Africa and determine whether the parasite communities show significant intra-specific, special differences or inter-specific differences. A total of 70 Chelidonichthys capensis and 87 C. queketti were examined, with a total of 13 parasitic taxa found infecting C. capensis, ten of which are new host records, while 15 parasitic taxa were found infecting C. queketti, 13 of which are new host records and one of which is a new geographic record. The nematode Anisakis pegreffii was the most prevalent parasite infecting C. capensis (75.7%), and an unidentified cyst was the most prevalent parasite infecting C. queketti (69%). Parasites recorded to infect both gurnard species include the cestode Tentacularia coryphaenae, the acanthocephalan Corynosoma australe, and the copepods Lernentoma asellina and Medesicaste penetrans. A Caligus species was only recorded to infect C. capensis and the unidentified cyst was only recorded infecting C. queketti. This study was also able to identify two biological tag species for potential use in population structure studies of both gurnards, namely A. pegreffii and T. coryphaenae, based on significant regional differences in prevalence and infection intensity levels. In comparison to other Chelidonichthys species, C. capensis has the second highest and C. queketti has the third highest number of recorded parasite taxa, with C. lucerna having the highest number (22 species) of parasites recorded. The new host records for C. capensis and C. queketti, and the new geographic record, contribute to our knowledge of these demersal fish species and of marine biodiversity in South Africa.
dc.identifier.apacitationMackintosh, A. L. (2019). <i>Parasite communities associated with the Cape gurnard (Chelidonichthys capensis) and the lesser gurnard (C. queketti) from South Africa</i>. (). ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/31137en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationMackintosh, Amy Leigh. <i>"Parasite communities associated with the Cape gurnard (Chelidonichthys capensis) and the lesser gurnard (C. queketti) from South Africa."</i> ., ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/31137en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationMackintosh, A. 2019. Parasite communities associated with the Cape gurnard (Chelidonichthys capensis) and the lesser gurnard (C. queketti) from South Africa.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Mackintosh, Amy Leigh AB - The Cape gurnard (Chelidonichthys capensis) and the lesser gurnard (Chelidonichthys queketti) are two members of the Triglidae family found off Southern Africa. Chelidonichthys capensis is distributed from depths of 10 m to 390 m in subtropical waters between Namibia and Mozambique, while C. queketti is distributed from 0 m to 150 m in subtropical waters from Namibia to southern Mozambique. Little is known about the biology, ecology and life cycles of these two species. Additionally, the parasite community of these two gurnards has not yet been surveyed, although there are records of a number of copepods infecting both species that have been documented for taxonomic purposes. This study aims to examine the macroparasite assemblages of both gurnard species from the west and south coasts of South Africa and determine whether the parasite communities show significant intra-specific, special differences or inter-specific differences. A total of 70 Chelidonichthys capensis and 87 C. queketti were examined, with a total of 13 parasitic taxa found infecting C. capensis, ten of which are new host records, while 15 parasitic taxa were found infecting C. queketti, 13 of which are new host records and one of which is a new geographic record. The nematode Anisakis pegreffii was the most prevalent parasite infecting C. capensis (75.7%), and an unidentified cyst was the most prevalent parasite infecting C. queketti (69%). Parasites recorded to infect both gurnard species include the cestode Tentacularia coryphaenae, the acanthocephalan Corynosoma australe, and the copepods Lernentoma asellina and Medesicaste penetrans. A Caligus species was only recorded to infect C. capensis and the unidentified cyst was only recorded infecting C. queketti. This study was also able to identify two biological tag species for potential use in population structure studies of both gurnards, namely A. pegreffii and T. coryphaenae, based on significant regional differences in prevalence and infection intensity levels. In comparison to other Chelidonichthys species, C. capensis has the second highest and C. queketti has the third highest number of recorded parasite taxa, with C. lucerna having the highest number (22 species) of parasites recorded. The new host records for C. capensis and C. queketti, and the new geographic record, contribute to our knowledge of these demersal fish species and of marine biodiversity in South Africa. DA - 2019 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - Biological Sciences LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PY - 2019 T1 - Parasite communities associated with the Cape gurnard (Chelidonichthys capensis) and the lesser gurnard (C. queketti) from South Africa TI - Parasite communities associated with the Cape gurnard (Chelidonichthys capensis) and the lesser gurnard (C. queketti) from South Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/31137 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/31137
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationMackintosh AL. Parasite communities associated with the Cape gurnard (Chelidonichthys capensis) and the lesser gurnard (C. queketti) from South Africa. []. ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 2019 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/31137en_ZA
dc.language.rfc3066eng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Biological Sciences
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Science
dc.subjectBiological Sciences
dc.titleParasite communities associated with the Cape gurnard (Chelidonichthys capensis) and the lesser gurnard (C. queketti) from South Africa
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMSc
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