Checklist of the parasites of coral reef fishes from French Polynesia, with considerations on their potential role in these fish communities

The effects of parasites on coral reef fishes are largely unexplored and unknown. In other fish-parasite systems, parasites may have far reaching effects upon their hosts, leaving few aspects of their host's biology unaffected. In French Polynesia, coral reef fishes are relatively well studied, but the effects of parasites upon the coral reef fish communities there are unevaluated. As a first step, we conducted a survey of the macroparasites of coral reef fishes in French Polynesia. We found a diverse array of parasites infecting fishes, including cestodes, copepods, digeneans, isopods, monogeneans, and nematodes. Diversity of digeneans, the most common parasite group, was lower in French Polynesia than on the Great Barrier Reef. The majority (69%) of fishes examined were infected with at least one species of parasite. Finally, we discuss the potential of parasites to influence coral reef fish communities by altering host life histories, interspecific interactions, community structure, and larval dynamics