Changes in numbers and growth of Ligula intestinalis in the spottail shiner (Notropis hudsonius), and their roles in transmission

Eighteen species of fishes were collected from Dauphin Lake, Manitoba, and examined for plerocercoids of Ligula intestinalis. Plerocercoids were most prevalent (5.3%) in spottail shiners. Number of plerocercoids differed between years and among habitats but there was no statistically significant seasonal pattern; recruitment of new worms was highest in young fish and decreased with age, and infected spottails had reduced gonad development. Infected spottails appear to be subjected to size-selective mortality. -from Authors