Co-existence of congeneric species of acanthocephala: Acanthocephalus lucii and A. anguillae in eels Anguilla anguilla in Ireland.

A population of eels Anguilla anguilla from Lough Derg, R. Shannon, Ireland, harbouring infections of both Acanthocephalus lucii and A. anguillae was studied over three years. Both parasite species had the same intermediate host and eels appeared to be the only definitive host for A. anguillae. Throughout the whole period, A. lucii was the dominant parasite, was over-dispersed throughout the eel population and most frequently occurred as a single species infection. A. anguillae was far less common, its dispersion was close to random at most times and it almost invariably occurred as a mixed species infection. The proportions of the two species remained fairly constant over the period. Despite some indication of site selection in the intestine, the distribution of both species overlapped considerably and there was no evidence of competitive displacement of one species by the other or of resource partitioning in space. The life-histories of both species were similar: they infected eels, bred and were lost from fish at the same time of year and there was no indication of resource partitioning in time. Congeneric species of acanthocephalans can thus co-exist in apparently stable equilibrium in fish as predicted and without any evidence of interactions, but it is still considered that exploitation competition between the species may be occurring in eels.