Parasitism by argulids (Crustacea: Branchiura) in piranhas (Osteichthyes: Serrasalmidae) captured in the Caiçara bays, upper Paraguay River, Pantanal, Mato Grosso state, Brazil

<b>Host-parasite interaction between crustaceans of six fish species from the Brazilian Amazon

“…chicomendesi was found only on the tegument of G. proximus and P. falcatus, with low and similar levels of infestation. In the case of P. nattereri and S. marginatus from the Paraguay river, Brazil (Fontana et al, 2012) and in the case of S. rhombeus from the Solimões river, Brazil (Acácio et al, 2012), low levels of infestation of the same argulid species were also reported. Therefore, A. chicomendesi has low parasitic specificity and causes low parasitism in wild fish populations, although high infestations are known in farmed fish (Acácio et al, 2012).…”

“…Thereby, the condition factor of wild and farmed fish populations, a quantitative measure of hosts welfare (Fontana et al, 2012;Guidelli et al, 2009;Hoshino, Hoshino, & Tavares-Dias, 2014), may be successfully employed as a tool to detect such negative effects of parasitism. However, in the hosts under analysis, Kn was not affected by parasitic infestation levels.…”

“…However, in the hosts under analysis, Kn was not affected by parasitic infestation levels. Guidelli et al, (2009) (Fontana et al, 2012) and for Astyanax intermedius infested by Paracymothoa astyanaxi, Kn decreased due to parasitic infestation levels (Gomiero, Souza, & Braga, 2012).…”

“…In wild fish populations, parasitic crustaceans may be influenced by factors related to the host's life history, which includes environment, body size, physiology, behavior, immunology and diet (Acácio, Varella, & Malta, 2012;Carvalho, DelClaro, & Takemoto, 2003;Fontana, Takemoto, Malta, & Mateus, 2012;Walker, Harris, Velde, & Bonga, 2008). Besides the lack of information on the parasite species that occur in these fish species, the variables that influence the parasite assemblage structure are also unknown.…”

“…Besides the lack of information on the parasite species that occur in these fish species, the variables that influence the parasite assemblage structure are also unknown. Therefore, information on the variables affecting the assemblage structure is important for in-depth knowledge of the host-parasite interaction (Fontana et al, 2012;Guidelli et al, 2009;Morley, 2007;Tavares-Dias, Oliveira, Gonçalves, & Silva, 2014).…”