Opposing life history strategies allow grass shrimp parasites to avoid a conflict of interest

A conflict of interest occurs when parasites manipulate the behavior of their host in contradictory ways to achieve different goals. In grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio), trematode parasites that use shrimp as an intermediate host cause the shrimp to be more active than usual around predators, whereas bopyrid isopod parasites that use shrimp as a final host elicit the opposite response. Since these parasites are altering the host’s behavior in opposing directions, a conflict of interest would occur in co-infected shrimp. Natural selection should favor attempts to resolve this conflict through avoidance, killing, or sabotage. In a field survey of shrimp populations in four tidal creeks in the Cape Fear River, we found a significant negative association between the two parasites. Parasite abundance was negatively correlated in differently sized hosts, suggesting avoidance as a mechanism. Subsequent mortality experiments showed no evidence of early death of co-infected hosts. In behavior t..., , , # Opposing life history strategies allow grass shrimp parasites to avoid a conflict of interest

Oecologia Special Issue: Parasites in Aquatic Ecology
[https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-024-05520-3](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-024-05520-3)

## Summary

The data presented in this paper is split into three distinct parts, Behavior study, Field Survey, and Survival Study. Data and Software files are named in accordance. The Behavior study was an analysis of the frequency of certain behaviors performed by grass shrimp with various parasite infections when exposed to a predator or not. The Field Survey was simple survey of grass shrimp parasite populations in four local tidal creeks. The Survival Study measured survival of grass shrimp with varying parasite infections.

See the full publication for further methodological detail.

## DataFiles

###### BehaviorData - csv of main behavior data sheet, compiled from the raw data

trial - individual number of trial (order that they were performed ...