Preface .................................................... vii
1 Introduction ................................................. 1
1.1 Biodiversity and the Acanthocephala ..................... 1
1.2 An ecological approach to the Acanthocephala ............ 8
2 Life cycles and transmission ................................ 12
2.1 General strategy ....................................... 12
2.2 The adult stage ........................................ 14
2.3 Eggs ................................................... 16
2.4 ntermediate hosts and cystacanths ...................... 18
2.5 Paratenic hosts ........................................ 20
2.6 Post-cyclic transmission ............................... 24
2.7 Variation in life cycles ............................... 26
3 Biogeography and distribution ............................... 28
3.1 Phylogenetic influences ................................ 28
3.2 Biogeographical influences ............................. 32
3.3 Host features .......................................... 43
4 Specificity ................................................. 52
4.1 General strategy ....................................... 52
4.2 Criteria for specificity ............................... 56
4.3 Spatial variations in specificity ...................... 63
4.4 Strain specificity ..................................... 69
5 Host—parasite interactions .................................. 75
5.1 Distribution of acanthocephalans within hosts .......... 75
5.2 Relations in vertebrate hosts .......................... 81
5.3 Relations in invertebrate hosts ........................ 84
5.4 Alterations in intermediate host behaviour ............. 87
5.5 Significance of behavioural changes in hosts ........... 99
6 Population dynamics ........................................ 101
6.1 General considerations ................................ 101
6.2 Seasonality and short-term studies .................... 104
6.3 Regulatory mechanisms ................................. 110
6.4 Long-term studies ..................................... 116
6.5 Mathematical models ................................... 121
7 Community dynamics ......................................... 125
7.1 General considerations ................................ 125
7.2 Richness and dominance of communities ................. 127
7.3 Spatial and temporal variability ...................... 137
7.4 Niche dynamics ........................................ 141
7.5 Interspecific interactions ............................ 146
8 Introductions and extinctions .............................. 158
8.1 Dispersal ............................................. 158
8.2 Introductions and colonisation ........................ 165
8.3 Rarity ................................................ 172
8.4 Extinctions ........................................... 174
9 Relations to ecosystem changes ............................. 179
9.1 Biological tags ....................................... 179
9.2 Acanthocephalans as indicators of pollution ........... 183
9.3 Impact on ecosystems .................................. 192
10 Conclusions and overview ................................... 200
References .................................................... 211
Index ......................................................... 241
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