diploid-polyploid complexes; European distribution; habitat partitioning; niche shift; parasite-mediated coexistence; Red Queen hypothesis; spined loach; unisexuality

In the context of the paradoxical ubiquity of sex, we tested whether stable coexistence of sexual and asexual fish of the genus Cobitis is mediated by parasites, as asexual fish suffer more from parasitic infections because of their lower genetic variability [the Red Queen hypothesis (RQH)], or by partial niche shift of the two strains differing in mode of reproduction. We did not find a clear correlation between infection risk with a helminth parasite and the proportion of sexuals, and we found similar infection rates among sexual females and co-occurring asexuals in general, including the most frequent clone in particular. These results suggest that the mechanisms of the RQH are not directly engaged in stabilizing this asexual complex.