Published 6 issues per year
ISSN Print: 0018-8166
ISSN Online: 1943-5991
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Parasitological study of Epischura baicalensis (Crustacea: Temoridae) in Lake Baikal
ABSTRACT
During the years 1991−1992 the natural infestation of a Baikalian plankton crustacean Epischura baicalensis by procercoids of the genus Proteocephalus was analyzed. It was stated that the infestation by proteocephalus can occur starting from the third copepodite stage on. The general annual infectivity of E. baicalensis by procercoids is 0.1334 %. The most infested were females of Epischura (0.3891 %), the third copepodite stages were least invaded (0.0038 %). The average number of procercoids of the genus Proteocephalus in the Baikal is 2.7 individuals/m3. The data are reported on the yearly infestation dynamics, and dimensions of some body parts of the proteocephalus procercoids. The life span of parasites in the winter-spring generation of Epischura is 8−9 months, and 10 months in the summer crustacean generations.