Brief Communications
Nature 440, 756 (6 April 2006) | doi:10.1038/440756a; Received 3 January 2006; ; Accepted 10 March 2006
Parasitology: Parasite survives predation on its host
Fleur Ponton1, Camille Lebarbenchon1,2, Thierry Lefèvre1, David G. Biron1, David Duneau1, David P. Hughes3 and Frédéric Thomas1
As prisoners in their living habitat, parasites should be vulnerable to destruction by the predators of their hosts. But we show here that the parasitic gordian worm Paragordius tricuspidatus is able to escape not only from its insect host after ingestion by a fish or frog but also from the digestive tract of the predator. This remarkable tactic enables the worm to continue its life cycle.
- GEMI, UMR CNRS/IRD 2724, IRD, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier cedex 5, France
- Station Biologique de la Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, 13200 Arles, France
- Centre for Social Evolution, Institute of Biology, 21000 Copenhagen, Denmark
Correspondence to: Fleur Ponton1 Email: fleur.ponton@mpl.ird.fr
Received 3 January 2006 | Accepted 10 March 2006 |
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