Larval development of the parasitic copepod Salmincola edwardsii on brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

Abstract

We conducted laboratory experiments to determine the developmental time from larva to adult of the parasitic copepod Salmincola edwardsii on brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) at 13 °C. Healthy fingerlings were exposed to large doses of recently hatched copepodids for 12 h. Three infected fingerlings were sacrificed at 12-h intervals until day 6 and then at 24-h intervals until day 20 postexposure. The gills, opercula, and pectoral fins were the major sites of attachment. Adult males were detected as early as day 3 and as late as day 8 postexposure, with the greatest number occurring about day 5. Adult males may live for up to 3 days at 13 °C. Adult females were detected as early as day 11 postexposure but not consistently until day 13, indicating that permanent bulla attachment took place between 11 and 16 days postexposure. Infection intensity declined rapidly until day 9 postexposure then less quickly for the rest of the experiment.