Helminth parasites of Ctenosciaena gracilicirrhus (Perciformes: Sciaenidae) from the coast of Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

Abstract

During a survey of the helminth parasites of Ctenosciaena gracilicirrhus from the Atlantic Ocean, off Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, 10 species of metazoan parasites were collected: 1 species of Monogenea (Choricotyle rohdei); 3 species of Nematoda (Hysterothylacium sp. third stage larvae, Raphidascaris sp. third stage larvae, and Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) pereirai third and fourth stages larvae and adults); 6 species of Digenea (Opecoeloides pedicathedrae, Opecoeloides melanopteri, Diplomonorchis leiostomi, Aponurus laguncula, Parahemiurus merus and Manteriella sp.). Choricotyle rohdei and Hysterothylacium sp. had the highest prevalence, mean intensity and abundance and an aggregated pattern of distribution was observed in both species. A positive correlation between the standard length of hosts and the parasitic abundance of Hysterothylacium sp. and C. rohdei was observed. The prevalence of C. rohdei was positively correlated with standard length of the host, while in Hysterothylacium sp. there was no correlation. Ctenosciaena gracilicirrhus represents a new host record to all species of Nematoda and Digenea presented herein. The genus Manteriella is reported for the first time in South America.

Redescription and First Nucleotide Sequences of Opecoeloides pedicathedrae (Digenea: Opecoelidae), a Parasite of Cynoscion leiarchus (Cuvier, 1830) (Eupercaria: Sciaenidae) from Brazil

“…Opecoeloides pedicathedrae was first described by Travassos et al [3] from the intestine of the sand drum, Umbrina coroides Cuvier, off the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Subsequently, it was reported from the intestine of the Southern kingcroaker, Menticirrhus americanus (Linnaeus), the flying gurnard Dactylopterus volitans (Linnaeus), and the barbel drum Ctenosciaena gracilicirrhus (Metzelaar), off the Rio de Janeiro coast, Brazil [7][8][9][10]. In the present study, new light microscopy and confocal laser microscopy analysis on O. pedicathedrae collected from C. leiarchus and new partial sequences of 18S and 28S rDNA genes are provided.…”