POPULATION DYNAMICS AND DISTRIBUTION OF EUSTRONGYLIDES SP. IN TRIPLOPHYSA MICROPHTHALM

The objective of this study is to investigate the infection of Eustrongylides sp. (larvae) in Triplophysa microphthalm in Dacao Lake, Turpan City, Xinjiang, China. In April 2024, a routine parasitological investigation was conducted, where 190 microscopic plateau loaches were autopsied to analyze the infection rate, intensity, and population dynamics of gastrotuma nematodes. The results showed that the infection rate of Eustrongylides sp. in the intestinal tract of Triplophysa microphthalm was 45.79%. The average infection intensity was (8.18±0.95), and the average infection abundance was (3.75±0.53). The square mean ratio (S² /`X) of Eustrongylides sp. in different body lengths was greater than 1. Furthermore, the infection rate, intensity, and average abundance of gastric nematode increased with the body length, and the population of Eustrongylides sp. was mainly clustered in Triplophysa microphthalm. In this study, Eustrongylides sp.were collected from the Triplophysa microphthalm for the first time, which supplemented the relevant research on the intermediate host of the gastric tumor nematode, and studied the distribution characteristics of the gastric nematode, aiming to provide theoretical data for the disease control of the slender-eyed plateau loach and other rare birds.