Survey of Parasites Found in the Fat Mucket, Lampsilis siliquoidea, at North Elkhorn Creek, Scott County, Kentucky U.S.A.

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to conduct a survey of parasites infecting the fat mucket, Lampsilis siliquoidea, during July 2022 at Lemon's Mill along 50 m of North Elkhorn Creek, a tributary of the Kentucky River in Scott County, Kentucky, U.S.A. Fifty-two specimens of L. siliquoidea were collected, and 3 different parasites were recovered. Sporocysts and rhopalocercous cercariae associated with Phyllodistomum sp. (prevalence = 13.5%) were recovered from the visceral mass and mantle cavity, respectively, nymphs and adults of the water mite Unionicola fossulata (prevalence = 96.2%; mean intensity = 3.92 ± 2.25) from the external surface of the gill demibranchs, and the aspidogastrid Cotylaspis insignis (prevalence = 84.6%; mean intensity = 8.50 ± 7.13) from the external surface at the gill-visceral mass junction. Prevalence and mean intensity were not significantly affected by host sex or host size. These results establish a baseline for parasite community structure in L. siliquoidea at the North Elkhorn Creek site.