| invaders, natives and their enemies: distribution patterns of amphipods and their microsporidian parasites in the ruhr metropolis, germany. | the amphipod and microsporidian diversity in freshwaters of a heterogeneous urban region in germany was assessed. indigenous and non-indigenous host species provide an ideal framework to test general hypotheses on potentially new host-parasite interactions, parasite spillback and spillover in recently invaded urban freshwater communities. | 2015 | 26263904 |
| pronounced and prevalent intersexuality does not impede the 'demon shrimp' invasion. | crustacean intersexuality is widespread and often linked to infection by sex-distorting parasites. however, unlike vertebrate intersexuality, its association with sexual dysfunction is unclear and remains a matter of debate. the 'demon shrimp,' dikerogammarus haemobaphes, an amphipod that has invaded continental waterways, has recently become widespread in britain. intersexuality has been noted in d. haemobaphes but not investigated further. we hypothesise that a successful invasive population s ... | 2015 | 25699206 |
| paramyxean-microsporidian co-infection in amphipods: is the consensus that microsporidia can feminise their hosts presumptive? | the current consensus is that microsporidia belong to a select group of parasites capable of causing both intersexuality and complete sex reversal in their hosts. indeed, species such as nosema granulosis and dictyocoela duebenum, which infect amphipod crustaceans, are regularly referred to as 'feminising microsporidians'. this categorisation is based on a combination of findings: that these species are vertically transmitted and occur at a high prevalence of infection in intersex and female amp ... | 2012 | 22609329 |