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25 June 2021 | dataset

Reef Fishes Have Higher Parasite Richness at Unfished Palmyra Atoll Compared to Fished Kiritimati Island

This study compared parasite communities at two coral atolls in the Line Islands chain of the central Pacific (Kiritimati Island and Palmyra Atoll). Palmyra Atoll is relatively pristine while Kiritimati Island is heavily fished. At each island, the study sampled five fish species for helminth and arthropod endoparasites: Chromis margaritifer, Plectroglyphidodon dickii, Paracirrhites arcatus, Acanthurus nigricans, and Lutjanus bohar. The surveys found monogeneans, digeneans, cestodes, nematodes, acanthocephalans, and copepods. Parasite richness was higher at Palmyra compared to Kiritimati for all five fish species

Data and Resource

Field Value
Publisher Environment and Conservation Division-MELAD
Modified 11 February 2022
Release Date 25 June 2021
Identifier e94a4454-390b-48cc-875a-858248319c93
Spatial / Geographical Coverage Location Kiritimati Island, Kiribati
Relevant Countries Kiribati
Language English
License Public
[Open Data]
Author Kevin D. Lafferty, Jenny C. Shaw, and Armand M. Kuris
Contact Name Kevin D. Lafferty
Contact Email [email protected]