Using parasites as biological tags of fish populations: A dynamical model

A simple model of macroparasitic infections has been used to evaluate the p otential use of parasites as biological tags of fish populations. In the mo del, the parasite-host interaction is regulated by a birth-death process, a nd parasites can only be acquired by the non-specific migratory host popula tion in a particular area of the space domain. In this case, we show that p arasites can be succesfully used for stocks identification and to describe the migratory routes taken by some marine fish species. (C) 2000 Society fo r Mathematical Biology.