Site selection by parasitic helminths: interspecific interactions, site segregation, and their importance to the development of helminth communities

Abstract

That parasites actively select specific sites in their hosts is well known. Some parasites respond to changing conditions within the host by making diel or other short-term migrations, which may be modified by the presence of other parasites.Evidence is presented to support the hypothesis that continued interactions between parasites lead to niche diversification, and that site segregation, and consequently narrow site specificity, is an important part of niche specialization. The paucity of cases of interactive site segregation as compared with those of genetically stabilized selective site segregation suggests that parasite faunas are mature communities, the diversity of which has been established to an important extent through biotic interactions.