Metazoan parasites as biological indicators of population structure of Halobatrachus didactylus on the Portuguese coast (original) (raw)
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Journal of the Helminthological Society of Washington, 1999
One hundred ten Atlantic spadefish Chaetodipterus faber (Broussonet, 1782) (Teleostei: Ephippidae) collected from the coastal zone of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (21-23°S, 41-45°W) between February 1995 and March 1996 were necropsied to study their metazoan parasites. The majority of the fish (82.7%) were parasitized by 1 or more metazoan species. Ten species of parasites were collected: 4 digeneans, 2 monogeneans, and 4 copepods. The copepods were the majority (53.1%) of the total number of parasite specimens collected. The caligid Anuretes anurus was the most dominant species with highest prevalence and abundance. Prosogonotrema labiatum and A. anurus showed a positive correlation between the host's total length and parasite abundance, while Parancylodiscoides sp. showed a negative correlation between the host's total length and parasite prevalence and abundance. The sex of hosts did not influence prevalence and abundance of any parasite species. The mean diversity in the infracommunities of C. faber was H = 0.659 ± 0.280, with no correlation with the host's total length and with no significant difference between male and female fish. Chaetodipterus faber had 4 pairs of parasite species with significant positive association, 3 pairs of endoparasites, and 1 pair of ectoparasites. Negative associations were not found. The low diversity and parasite richness observed might be linked to the low dietary variation of C. faber.
Parasite, 2014
Thirteen parasite taxa were identified in the Mediterranean swordfish by morphological and genetic/molecular methods. The comparison of the identified parasite taxa and parasitic infection values observed in the Mediterranean swordfish showed statistically significant differences with respect to those reported for its Atlantic populations. A stepwise Linear Discriminant Analysis of the individual fish examined showed a separation among three groups: one including fish from the Mediterranean Sea (CTS, STS, and IOS); one consisting of fish from the Central South (CS), Eastern Tropical (ET), and Equatorial (TEQ) Atlantic; and a third comprising the fish sampled from the NorthWest Atlantic (NW); the CN Atlantic sample was more similar to the first group rather than to the other Atlantic ones. The nematodes Hysterothylacium petteri and Anisakis pegreffii were the species that contributed most to the characterization of the Mediterranean swordfish samples with respect to these Atlantic ones. Anisakis brevispiculata, A. physeteris, A. paggiae, Anisakis sp. 2, Hysterothylacium incurvum, Hepatoxylon trichiuri, Sphyriocephalus viridis, and their high infection levels were associated with the swordfish from the Central and the Southern Atlantic areas. Finally, H. corrugatum, A. simplex (s.s.), Rhadinorhynchus pristis, and Bolbosoma vasculosum were related to the fish from the NorthWest (NW) Atlantic area. These results indicate that some parasites, particularly Anisakis spp. larvae identified by genetic markers, could be used as ''biological tags'' and support the existence of a Mediterranean swordfish stock.
2008
Over an 11-month period, the gills, digestive tract, and swimbladder of eels from the Ria de Aveiro were examined for the presence of parasites. Fifteen metazoan parasite species were found: one myxosporean (Myxidium giardi), one monogenean (Pseudodactylogyrus anguillae), five digeneans (Deropristis inflata, Lecithochirium rufoviride, Helicometra fasciata, Podocotyle spp., and Lecithochirium sp. metacercariae), two cestodes (Proteocephalus sp. and Bothriocephalus claviceps), two nematodes (Anguillicola crassus and Contracaecum sp. larvae), two acantocephalans (Acanthocephalus clavula and Pomphorhynchus laevis), and two crustaceans (Ergasilus gibbus and Gnathiidae gen. sp.). The parasite species D. inflata, L. rufoviride, Lecithochirium sp. metacercariae, H. fasciata, Proteocephalus sp., Contracaecum sp. larvae, P. laevis, and Gnathiidae gen. sp. are recorded in Portugal for the first time in this host. Although the eels from Ria de Aveiro presented a very rich parasite community, several species occur very rarely. The low diversity observed in the intestinal infracommunity of the Ria de Aveiro eels reflects the high proportion of eels that were not parasitized or harboured only one helminth species.
Journal of Helminthology, 2007
Parasites have been used successfully as biological tags in population studies, mainly in marine fishes, but also in marine mammals, crustaceans and molluscs. Almost all published information dealing with parasites as biological tags evaluates differences between localities. However, local variability in the component community has not been assessed. In this work, we examined whether local variation of the metazoan parasite fauna of Engraulis ringens, extracted from five independent samples from two nearby localities in northern Chile, can be a factor causing bias in stock identification. Our results show that local variability, as estimated by a single sample, may suffice to represent component community variability with no need for replicated data.
Fisheries Research, 1998
The purpose of this paper is to provide a guide for parasitologists and ®shery biologists to the use of parasites as biological tags for stock discrimination of marine ®sh. Key literature on parasitology and ®sheries biology is listed, and the following topics are covered: (1) the general principles involved in the use of parasites as tags in ®sh population studies and the advantages and limitations of parasites as tags; (2) the two main approaches to the subject, one aimed at selecting a small number of the most appropriate parasite tags and examining a large number of host specimens for these parasites only, and the other based on statistical analyses of entire parasite assemblages; (3) criteria applicable to the selection of tag parasites; (4) procedures and methods for the collection and preservation of host and parasite samples, and for the identi®cation of parasites; (5) the interpretation of parasitological results in terms of host population biology, including illustrations of some typical life cycles of the major taxonomic groups of parasites infecting marine ®sh.
Metazoan parasite community structure of sea trout on the west coast of Ireland
Journal of Fish Biology, 1999
A total of 129 sea trout smolts from 10 locations on the west coast of Ireland were examined for metazoan parasites. Of 11 species identified only four had a prevalence >20%. Two species Hysterothylacium aduncum and Hemiuris communis have a confirmed marine origin; Eubothrium crassum has been shown to exist in both the sea and fresh water. The remaining species were fresh water. Overall the parasite community was dominated by autogenic species with only Diphyllobothrium dendriticum having allogenic transmission. Infracommunity values for mean species richness, and Brillouins index of diversity were low, indicating the presence of an impoverished helminth community with little potential for interspecific interaction. The relationship between marine helminths and sea lice was also examined.