Abstract
The bioindicator potential of cestode parasites in metal accumulation has long been studied across fish species. This study evaluated whether Ligula intestinalis can reflect trace metal accumulation in a natural leuciscid hybrid host system. A natural leuciscid hybrid species (Alburnus derjugini × Squalius orientalis) was sampled from Kürtün Dam Lake (Gümüşhane, Türkiye), along with water, sediment, and 30 infected and non-infected fish. Samples were analyzed for zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), and barium (Ba). Results showed that Cu concentrations were higher in parasite tissue than in fish gills, while Zn, Mn, and Cu levels in L. intestinalis were greater than in host muscle tissue. The strongest same-element parasite–host relationship was observed for Cr, suggesting that L. intestinalis may help reflect Cr exposure in the studied host–parasite system. Overall, the study demonstrates that this cestode accumulates metals in parallel with its host fish and shows promise as a potential bioindicator for Cr in the studied freshwater system. However, further validation across different sites, seasons, and host populations is needed before its broader use as a reliable biomonitoring tool can be confirmed. The findings also align with previous research, reinforcing the relationship between metal accumulation and ligulosis infection, and highlighting the parasite’s value in aquatic environmental monitoring.
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Subjects
- Ecology
- Environmental sciences
- Zoology
Acknowledgements
We would like to express our thanks to Erhan Akdoğan, Ahmet Bingöl, Salih Kumru and Akif ER for their help during the fieldwork.
Funding
This work was supported by the Scientific Research Project Coordination Unit of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University (Project no: FDK-2020–1082). This study has been supported by the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University Development Foundation (Grant number: 02026003003157).
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Zeynep Zehra İpek, Mert Minaz and Şevki Kayış declare that they have no financial interests.
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Current study was approved by the Ethical Local Committee of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University (Approval No: FDK-2020–1082). All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations.
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İpek, Z.Z., Minaz, M. & Kayiş, Ş. Bioindicator properties of Ligula intestinalis for selected trace metals: the example of Kürtün Dam Lake, Türkiye.
Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-64560-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-64560-2
Keywords
Ligula intestinalis
- Bioindicator
- Trace elements
- Bioaccumulation
- Fish
- Environmental parasitology
Source: Ecology - nature.com
