Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Arizona
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Arizona Project


Effects of Asian Tapeworm on Fishes of the Yaqui Basin

September 2002 - September 2009


Personnel

Participating Agencies

  • Science Support Partnership

Asian tapeworm Bothriocephalus acheilognathi, a parasite known to be pathogenic to cyprinid fishes, is established in San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge, southeastern Arizona, USA. The San Bernardino refuge is home to endangered Yaqui chub Gila purpurea, and Yaqui topminnow Poeciliopsis occidentalis sonoreinsis, and our experiment measured the effects of Asian tapeworm on the growth and mortality of these species. Our experiment employed forty 75.8-L aquaria, with 10 different treatments, each having 4 replicates. We stocked fish at 2 single species densities and 1 mixed species density to see if competition has an impact on infection effects. We found a significant difference between growth rates of Yaqui chub that were exposed to Asian tapeworm and those that were not. We did not find a difference between the growth rates of Yaqui topminnow, nor did we find a difference in the mortalities of between exposed and unexposed tanks. The student graduated spring 2007, and this information is currently being compiled for publication.

Research Publications Publication Date
Kline, S. J., and S. A. Bonar. 2009. Captive breeding of Yaqui topminnow and Yaqui chub. North American Journal of Aquaculture. January 2009
Kline, S. J., T. P. Archdeacon, and S. A. Bonar. 2009. Effects of praziquantel on eggs of the Asian tapeworm Bothriocephalus acheilognathi. North American Journal of Aquaculture. October 2009
Iles, A., T. P. Archdeacon, and S. A. Bonar. 2012. Novel praziquantel treatment regime for controlling Asian tapeworm infections in pond-reared fishes. North American Journal of Aquaculture 74:113-117. April 2012