Interaction between the intermediate host of Fascioliasis in Tunisia, Galba truncatula and a possible competitor, Melanoides tuberculata (Muller, 1774): a field study. (28th October 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ghouaidia, Najet; Hammami, Hayet
• Is Part Of: African journal of ecology. Volume 52:Number 3(2014:Sep.)
• Page Start: 328
• Page End: 333
• Publication Date: 2013-10-28
• Subjects: Zoology -- Africa -- Periodicals; Ecology -- Africa -- Periodicals; Wildlife management -- Africa -- Periodicals; Zoology -- Africa, East -- Periodicals; Ecology -- Africa, East -- Periodicals; Wildlife management -- Africa, East -- Periodicals; 577
• DOI: 10.1111/aje.12123
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0141-6707

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" xml:lang="en" id="aje12123-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>The snail <italic>Melanoides tuberculata</italic> has been used successfully in the control of some snails, intermediate host of parasitosis. <italic>Melanoides tuberculata</italic> has been found in Tunisia, but its effects on populations of native snail have not yet been evaluated in the field. Our objective is to determine whether <italic>M. tuberculata</italic> competed with <italic>Galba truncatula</italic>, using a field study. Twelve monthly investigations were carried out along an irrigation system in Ain Soltane's oasis (southwest of Tunisia). Here, we describe the population dynamics of <italic>G. truncatula</italic> with and without <italic>M. tuberculata</italic> in two stations: a witness pilot station (S1), in which the snail lives alone, and an experimental station (S2), where two species live together. The abundance of <italic>G. truncatula</italic> varied according to subsistence or not of <italic>M. tuberculata</italic>. The number of annual generations is higher in S1 (four generations) than S2 (two generations). In the absence of other molluscs or predators that can influence the density of <italic>G. truncatula</italic> and assuming that climatic factors are mitigated by the presence of an oasean microclimate, these results show that the mollusc <italic>M. tuberculata</italic> has a competition with the vector species of fluke.</p> </abstract>