Can differences in life cycle explain differences in invasiveness? – A study on Anguillicola novaezelandiae in the European eel

Abstract

SUMMARYAnguillicola crassus is the most invasive species of its genus and it is a successful colonizer of different eel species worldwide. It is so far the only species of the genus Anguillicola whose life cycle has been studied completely. To analyse whether differences in life cycle may explain differences in invasiveness, we infected European eels with Anguillicola novaezelandiae under laboratory conditions. Anguillicola novaezelandiae shows a synchronized development in the European eel. Eggs with second-stage larvae appeared 120 days after infection. No density-dependent effect in parasite development could be found for A. novaezelandiae. The present study shows that the life cycle of A. novaezelandiae differs on final host level compared with A. crassus in ways which result in a less successful invasion of new host species.