Patterns and processes of larval emergence in an estuarine parasite system.

TLDR: Together, exogenous and endogenous factors control emergence of trematode cercariae, mitigating the vagaries of an intertidal environment.

Abstract: Trematode parasites in intertidal estuaries ex- perience constantly varying conditions, with the presence or absence of water potentially limiting larval transport be- tween hosts. Given the short life spans (24 h) of cercariae, emergence timing should be optimized to enhance the prob- ability of successful transmission. In the present study, field measurements and laboratory experiments identified pro- cesses that regulate the emergence of cercariae from their first intermediate snail hosts in an intertidal marsh. Larvae emerged over species-specific temperature ranges, exclu- sively during daylight hours, and only when snails were submerged. The three factors operate over different tempo- ral scales: temperature monthly, light diurnally (24-h pe- riod), and water depth tidally (12-h period). Each stimulus creates a necessary condition for the next, forming a hier- archy of environmental cues. Emergence as the tide floods would favor transport within the estuary, and light may trigger direct (downward or upward) swimming toward host habitats. Abbreviated dispersal would retain asexually re- produced cercariae within the marsh, and local mixing would diversify the gene pool of larvae encysting on sub- sequent hosts. In contrast to the timing of cercarial release, emergence duration was under endogenous control. Dura- tion of emergence decreased from sunrise to sunset, perhaps in response to the diminishing lighted interval as the day progresses. Circadian rhythms that control cercarial emer- gence of freshwater species (including schistosomes) are often set by the activity patterns of subsequent hosts. In this estuary, however, the synchronizing agent is the tides. To-