“…However, a positive correlation can also occur, and it is observed in R. fractum , which means the mean abundance or mean intensity of the parasite increases along with the length or weight of the host. Previous studies have noted the same tendency ( Poulin & Rohde, 1997 ; Sasal et al , 1997 ; Poulin, 1999 ; Poulin, 2000 ; Vidal-Martínez & Poulin, 2003 ; Villalba-Vasquez et al , 2018 ; Ibrahim & Alghamdi, 2023 ), and it could be explained by the fact that larger host can harbour more number of parasites than small ones ( Guégan et al , 1992 ; Poulin, 2000 ; Valtonen et al , 2010 ; Timi & Poulin, 2020 ). In fact, several research have indicated that there is a positive correlation between the length of the gut and the total length of the fish ( Ribble & Smith, 1983 ; Karachle & Stergiou, 2010 ; Hafiz et al , 2023 ).…”