Taskinen J
Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
Int J Parasitol. 1998 Apr;28(4):599-602. doi: 10.1016/s0020-7519(97)84371-8.
Trematode-induced gigantism of molluscs, enhanced growth of trematode-parasitised individuals, has been observed in many laboratory studies. This study reports the effect of the sterilising trematode, Rhipidicotyle fennica, on the growth of the freshwater clam Anodonta piscinalis under field conditions. In addition to single infections (prevalence 44%), a few clams (3%) were infected with both R. fennica and Rhipidicotyle campanula. Parasite-induced gigantism was not found; parasites lowered host growth. The decreased in growth was correlated with the quantity of parasite material. Clams with double infections grew the least, although they did not differ significantly from hosts with a heavy single species infection. The growth of the experimental clams was lower than that of undisturbed control clams. Trematode-induced gigantism of molluscs in the field, in general, remains undemonstrated.
在许多实验室研究中都观察到，吸虫引起的软体动物巨人症，即被吸虫寄生的个体生长加快。本研究报告了绝育吸虫芬兰褶盘吸虫对淡水蛤池沼圆田螺在野外条件下生长的影响。除了单一感染（感染率44%）外，少数蛤（3%）同时感染了芬兰褶盘吸虫和钟形褶盘吸虫。未发现寄生虫引起的巨人症；寄生虫会降低宿主的生长。生长的下降与寄生虫物质的数量相关。双重感染的蛤生长最慢，尽管它们与单一重度感染的宿主没有显著差异。实验蛤的生长低于未受干扰的对照蛤。一般来说，吸虫引起的野外软体动物巨人症尚未得到证实。
