MSc Student
Advisor: Elisabeth Haring

Natural History Museum Vienna

Abstract

Thorny headed Worms (Acanthocephala) are obligatory endoparasites found worldwide in fish, amphibians, birds, and mammals. In Europe, Pomphorhynchus is a common genus that uses amphipods (Gammaridae) as intermediate hosts and various freshwater fish as definitive hosts. Three species are known in Central Europe: Pomphorhynchus laevis, P. tereticollis, and P. bosniacus. Historically, taxonomic confusion led to all three species being commonly listed as P. laevis, which led to incorrect assumptions about their distribution and the possible displacement of native species by invasive species. In 2019, the species P. bosniacus, whose original distribution area is the Black Sea region, was first recorded in the Danube near Vienna. This raises questions: Was the native P. laevis displaced by the invasive P. bosniacus, or was P. bosniacus already present and mistaken for P. laevis due to a lack of expertise?

To investigate this, this project pursues an approach that bridges the gap between past and present. Historical fish samples from the Natural History Museum in Vienna, collected around 1900, are being examined to identify parasitic intestinal worms. Fresh fish samples will allow the investigation of possible changes in the parasite fauna up to the present. In addition, historical fish material from the Black Sea region (the presumed area of ​​origin of P. bosniacus) will be analyzed to reconstruct possible immigration scenarios. The parasites will be analyzed morphologically (under the microscope) and genetically (using DNA barcoding). This integrative project examines historical and current distribution patterns and provides insights into the dynamics of biological invasions and biodiversity conservation within the often overlooked but ecologically important group of parasitic worms.