SEASONAL DYNAMICS OF PROTEOCEPHALUS-TORULOSUS (CESTODA, PROTEOCEPHALIDAE) IN BARBEL (BARBUS-BARBUS) FROM THE JIHLAVA RIVER, CZECH-REPUBLIC

The proteocephalid tapeworm Proteocephalus torulosus (Batsch, 1786) ex hibited a marked seasonality in its occurrence and maturation in barbe l (Barbus barbus L.) from the Jihlava River, South Moravia, Czech Repu blic. Recruitment took place in winter and early spring, growth and ma turation in spring and gravid worms left the fish hosts in May; during summer and autumn, the parasite was almost absent from the fish popul ation. Parasite burden was related to fish size, with larger barbel be ing more heavily infected than smaller ones.