The occurrence patterns and alternative host use of the generalist parasitoid Parvilucifera infectans (Alveolata, Perkinsozoa) of marine dinoflagellates revealed by a high-frequency time series microscopic data at a temperate coastal site

Abstract

Species belonging to the genus Parvilucifera (Alveolata, Perkinsozoa) are known as generalist parasitoids that can infect a variety of marine dinoflagellates and ultimately kill the host cell. Despite the accumulation of knowledge on Parvilucifera parasitoids over the last twenty years, the occurrence pattern and use of alternative hosts for persistent transmission within fluctuating natural dinoflagellate host communities have received relatively little attention. To address this, high-frequency (i.e., daily) time series protist monitoring was conducted for 411 days, from April 2020 to May 2021, at a temperate coastal site in Jinhae Bay, Republic of Korea. This site was characterized by frequent blooms of mixed dinoflagellates throughout most of the year. Nonetheless, Parvilucifera infections were detected only in the spring seasons, and its occurrence pattern was primarily governed by the presence and cell density of its primary dinoflagellate host, Akashiwo sanguinea. As long as the primary host was present at high densities (greater than 10⁴ cells L^-1), this primary host alone could support the transmission and persistence of the parasitoid. However, if the cell density of the primary host started to decline, then Parvilucifera searched for and exploited alternative hosts for its continued survival. Taken together, this study suggests that the presence and cell density of its preferred primary host species and the duration for which the density remains above the threshold level are key factors that regulate the timing of Parvilucifera occurrence and alternative host use.