The effect of parasitism by the trematode Cryptocotyle lingua (Creplin) on digestive efficiency in the snail host, Littorina saxatilis (Olivi)

Abstract

The efficiency of assimilation of carbon and nitrogen by Littorina saxatilis, as calculated from the carbon and nitrogen content of food and faeces, showed that the efficiency of snails infected with rediae of Cryptocotyle lingua did not differ significantly from that in non-infected snails.Similarly, the rate of ingestion and the rate of assimilation of infected snails did not differ significantly from those of non-infected snails.It is suggested that this harmonious relationship reflects the longterm strategy of Cryptocotyle lingua infections.