Caullerya mesnili is a unicellular parasite that infects the gut of several species of waterfleas (Daphnia spp.), a type of abundant zooplankton, commonly found in many freshwater lakes. This parasite is very virulent (harmful) to its host. Once the infection becomes established, the host is castrated and eventually dies less than 3 weeks later. During this entire period, the infected individual will be releasing spores that then infect other waterfleas in the environment.
There is evidence that the genotype of the waterflea affects the infection success of C. mesnili, with the most common genotype in a given population being more frequently infected by this deadly parasite. Thus both the waterflea and parasite are engaged in a coevolutionary relationship which maintains genetic diversity in both populations, operating in a manner predicted by the "Red Queen" hypothesis.
You can read lots more about this parasite in this paper and/or this one.
Contributed by Tommy Leung and Justyna Wolinska.
Photo by Justyna Wolinska.
Caullerya mesnili ni vimelea vya chembe moja vinavyoambukiza matumbo ya spishi kadhaa za vimelea vya maji (Daphnia spp. , aina ya plankton nyingi, ambazo hupatikana kwa kawaida katika maziwa mengi ya maji baridi. Mdudu huyo ni hatari sana kwa mwenyeji wake. Baada ya kuambukizwa, mwenyeji huangamizwa na hatimaye anakufa chini ya wiki tatu baadaye. Katika kipindi hicho chote, mtu aliyeambukizwa atafungua spora ambazo kisha zitaambukiza nondo wengine wa maji katika mazingira. Kuna ushahidi kwamba genotype ya waterflea huathiri mafanikio ya maambukizi ya C. mesnoli, na genotype ya kawaida katika idadi fulani ya watu kuwa mara nyingi zaidi kuambukizwa na vimelea hii hatari. Kwa hivyo, wote wawili, fleas na vimelea, wana uhusiano wa coevolutionary ambao unadumisha utofauti wa maumbile katika idadi zote mbili, ikifanya kazi kwa njia iliyotabiriwa na nadharia ya Malkia Mwekundu. Unaweza kusoma zaidi kuhusu parasite hii katika makala hii. Msaada wa Tommy Leung na Justyna Wolinska. Picha: Justyna Wolinska.