Community ecology of the metazoan parasites of pink cusk-eel, Genypterus brasiliensis (Osteichthyes: Ophidiidae), from the coastal zone of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract

Key words: parasite ecology -community structure -marine fish -Ophidiidae -Genypterus brasiliensis -Rio de Janeiro -Brazil Genypterus brasiliensis Regan, 1903 is a demersal gadiform fish, found on soft mud bottoms (depth range 60-200 m), with a known distribution from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Uruguay (Figueiredo & Menezes 1978). The pink cusk-eel is very common in the southern Brazilian coastal zone and is a commercially important species.From Brazil, studies on the parasite fauna of G. brasiliensis are scarce. Pereira Jr. (2000) provided new morphologic data on the cestode Anonchocephalus chilensis (Riggenbach 1896), a species redescribed anteriorly by Suriano and Labriola (1998) based upon specimens collected from G. blacodes (Forster, 1801). From Argentina, some records of parasites of G. brasiliensis were made by Sardella et al. (1997Sardella et al. ( , 1998 and Navone et al. (1998). Quantitative aspects of the parasites of G. brasiliensis were studied by Sardella et al. (1998) from Argentina.Other Genypterus species from South America were studied for quantitative aspects of their parasites in Vergara and George-Nascimento (1982) In this report, we analyze the metazoan parasite community of G. brasiliensis from the coastal zone of the State of Rio de Janeiro, at the component and infracommunity levels, and compare our results with those on parasite communities of congeneric species from South American Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. MATERIALS AND METHODSWe examined 55 specimens of G. brasiliensis from September 2000 to January 2001. Local fishermen collected fish from coastal zone of the state of Rio de Janeiro (21-23ºS, 41-45ºW), Brazil. These fish were identified according to Figueiredo and Menezes (1978) and measured 29-70 cm (mean = 42.6 ± 8.5 cm) in total length. The average total length of male (49.1 ± 4.9 cm, n = 17) and female (49.9 ± 8.8 cm, n = 24) fishes in the study sample were not significantly different (t = -0.246, P = 0.807). Sex could not be determined in the other 14 fish examined.The analysis included only parasite species with prevalence greater than 10% (Bush et al. 1990). The variance to mean ratio of parasite abundance (index of dispersion) was used to determine distribution patterns and tested by the d statistical index (Ludwig & Reynolds 1988). The dominance frequency and the relative dominance (number of specimens of one species/total number of specimens of all species in the infracommunity) of each parasite species were calculated according to Rohde et al. (1995). Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (r s ) was calculated to determine possible correlations between the host's total body length and abundance of parasites. Pearson's correlation coefficient (r s ) was used as an indication of the relationship between the host's total body

A new species of Tormopsolus (Digenea: Acanthocolpidae) parasite of Genypterus brasiliensis (Teleostei: Ophidiidae) from the Brazilian coast

“…Specimens of the first are very long and narrow, with fewer spines on the tegument and in the ejaculatory duct, and a greater distance between the ventral sucker and the ovary and between the ovary and the anterior testis. In South America two other digeneans has been reported from G. brasiliensis: Lecithochirium genypteri Lühe, 1901, mentioned by SARDELLA et al (1998 from Argentina, and Pseudolepidapedon brasiliensis referred to as Acanthocolpus brasiliensis Fernandes & Souza, 1973by ALVES et al (2002a from Brazil. ALVES et al (2002a,b) reported A. brasiliensis parasitizing the intestine of G. brasiliensis also from the shores in Rio de Janeiro Figures 1-4 Tormopsolus brasiliensis sp.…”

“…30928a (holotype), b-f (paratypes) of Pseudolepidapedon brasiliensis (Fernandes &Souza, 1973) Ramadan, 1987 andCHIOC n. 34569 (voucher) of Acanthocolpus brasiliensis of ALVES et al (2002a).…”

Case Report – Heteronybelinia spp. in Pomatomus saltatrix (Linnaeus, 1766)

“…According to Alves et al [56], Nybelinia [21] was found in the mesentery, although, São Clemente et al [57] reported this same genus in mesentery, stomach serous, and celomatic cavity. Heteronybelinia rougetcampanae [33] and Myxonybelinia beveridgei [58], which also belongs to Tentaculariidae family, were found in celomatic cavity and mesentery, stomach serous and liver, respectively [57].…”

Cestóides Pseudophyllidea parasitos de congro-rosa, Genypterus brasiliensis Regan, 1903 comercializados no estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

“…Estudos dos plerocercóides das espécies de Diphyllobothrium parasitas de peixes no Brasil são desconhecidos e reforçam a necessidade de estudos dos parasitas de peixes que ocorrem no litoral brasileiro (Tavares et al, 2005). Os registros anteriores dos estudos helmintológicos para Genypterus brasiliensis Regan, 1903, na Argentina e no Brasil, demonstraram resultados negativos para estes cestóides (Sardella et al, 1998;Alves et al, 2002).…”