| Abstract: | Populational variability of Proteocephalus longicollis from the vendace inhabiting various types of Karelian water bodies was studied. High phenotypic diversity of the helminth and polymorphism in the cestode's major functional complexes - attachment, trophic and reproduction - are established. High degree of phenotype pool realization was determined for various P. longicollis populations. Traits belonging to different functional complexes were shown to have different variability patterns. The highest stability was shown for the attachment organs of P. longicollis, which had similar values of qualitative indices and nature of variation. The traits of the trophic and reproduction complexes are more variable. The conclusion was made that the high intrapopulation diversity of P. longicollis is a response to high ecological variability of the vendace, and the distinctions in the phenotype variability of the helminth reflect the differences between population development patterns of the parasite (cestode P. longicollis) and its host (vendace Coregonus albula) in lakes of Karelia. |
