Advanced Ecology

PARASITISM

• Defined as two species lviing in a physically close, obligatory association, where the parasite depends metabolically on the host

Microparasitism --> disease agents such as bacteria, viruses, protists and amoeba, tend to infect the hosts at high densities, have a relatively short lfiecycle but complete their lifecycle within the host

Macroparasitism --> large and multicellular parasites such as nematodes, helmids, arthropods, live in low to intermediate densities, have long gestation/development periods, don't tend to complete their full lifecycles within the host

Endoparasites --> live either extra- or intracellularly but are always within the body of the host

Ectoparasites --> live on the outside, usually inhabitating the epidermis or fur of the host organism

EXAMPLES OF ENDOPARASITISM 

1. The Tongue Eating Louse (Cymothoa exigua)

This parasitic isopod enters the gill slit of fish during its larval stage. At the larval stage, all of the individuals are males that attach themselves to…