Species-specific patterns in cercarial emergence of Diplostomum spp. from snails Radix lagotis

[Display omitted] •Species-specific emergence patterns of three Diplostomum spp. were studied.•Daily periodicity-dependent patterns in cercarial emergence were observed.•There was seasonal intraspecific variation in the daily cercarial output.•Patterns synchronised with reproduction and activity of fish second intermediate hosts.•Diplostomum spp. cercariae evolutionarily adapted to fish behaviour. The cercarial emergence patterns of three species of Diplostomum (Diplostomum ‘mergi’, Diplostomum spathaceum and Diplostomum parviventosum) parasitizing freshwater first intermediate host Radix lagotis sampled in Most Lake, Czech Republic, were studied under various experimental conditions, i.e. field, laboratory and incubator, and seasons, i.e. spring, summer and autumn. We discovered unexpected daily periodicity-dependent species-specific emergence patterns among the three Diplostomum spp. depending on experimental conditions. At the same time, the intraspecific variation of D. spathaceum cercarial release in response to seasonal conditions was observed. We found that a complex array of mechanisms can affect Diplostomum species-specific patterns in cercarial emergence, of which behavioural characteristics of fish related to reproduction and feeding processes are considered the most important factors. This might represent a specific adaptive evolutionary mechanism to maximise transmission success while avoiding competition for host resources. Our results contribute to a better understanding of ecological and epidemiological aspects with respect to specific adaptive strategies compartmentalised among species of Diplostomum and consequences for infection risk in fish hosts.