What’s in a Fish? A Survey of the Parasitic Fauna of Four Cottus Species in Georgia
Disciplines
Parasitology | Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Cottus is a genus of nocturnal, predominantly freshwater fish that reside on the bottom of gravelly lakes and streams. There is a lack of knowledge pertaining to the parasitic taxa infecting the Cottus fish. Four species of Cottus were collected from freshwater streams in Georgia between 1999 and 2016, preserved in formalin and ethanol, and stored in KSU’s fish collection. We necropsied approximately 50 fish to collect their parasites; the gills and organs were removed from the fish to scrutinize under a stereo microscope. We collected parasites for further investigation. In the Cottus specimens, we found nematodes, cestodes, acanthocephalans, and monogeneans. Our study is important because knowledge of the types of parasites that are infecting freshwater sculpins is extremely limited.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM - Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Whitney Preisser
What’s in a Fish? A Survey of the Parasitic Fauna of Four Cottus Species in Georgia
Cottus is a genus of nocturnal, predominantly freshwater fish that reside on the bottom of gravelly lakes and streams. There is a lack of knowledge pertaining to the parasitic taxa infecting the Cottus fish. Four species of Cottus were collected from freshwater streams in Georgia between 1999 and 2016, preserved in formalin and ethanol, and stored in KSU’s fish collection. We necropsied approximately 50 fish to collect their parasites; the gills and organs were removed from the fish to scrutinize under a stereo microscope. We collected parasites for further investigation. In the Cottus specimens, we found nematodes, cestodes, acanthocephalans, and monogeneans. Our study is important because knowledge of the types of parasites that are infecting freshwater sculpins is extremely limited.