Larval anisakids (Nematoda: Ascaridoidea) in horse mackerel ( Trachurus trachurus ) from the fish market in Granada (Spain)

Abstract

Horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) from the fish market in Granada, South Spain, were surveyed for anisakid nematodes. The fish came from fishing ports all over the country. Larval anisakids were found in 39.4% of the fish examined. In all, 26.1% were infected with third-stage larvae (L3s) of Anisakis simplex; 0.3%, with A. physeteris L3s; 31.1%, with Hysterothylacium aduncum L3s; and 1.7%, with fourth-stage larvae (L4s) of Hysterothylacium sp. Horse mackerel from Mediterranean Sea coast ports (South and Southeast Spain) had the lowest levels of infection and those from Cantabrian Sea coast ports (North Spain) had the highest levels. Variations in infection levels with host size (age) and season of capture were surveyed.

Anisakis simplex (Nematoda: Anisakidae) from horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) in Atlantic coast of Morocco

“…The increase of A. simplex prevalence with the increase of host length was previously described in T. trachurus by Adroher et al [15]. The highest mean intensity was found in the intermediate host size class 40-43 cm.…”

“…In the most marine fish, there is a wide range of common parasites, such as larvae and adults of A. simplex [17][18][19]. The A. simplex appear in fish at the larval stage and its infection of T. trachurus was previously reported in the Mediterranean and North Atlantic coasts [15,20,21].…”

“…A. simplex was found in the body cavity [15]. However, A. simplex was reported in horse mackerel muscle (it has been reported that post-mortem migration of A. simplex into the flesh of some host species [23,24]), but the percentage of larvae found in this tissue varied from very low 1.8% to high 41.8% values [22,25].…”

Distribution of larval anisakids in blue whiting off Portuguese fish market

“…Increase of anisakids infection level with age or length of the host, as well as decrease of infection in higher length classes, have been reported for several host species (Abaunza et al, 1995;Adroher et al;1996;Cruz et al, 2005;Fernández et al, 2005;Grabda, 1976;Manfredi et al, 2000;Valero et al, 2000). In the present work, the significant correlations obtained between host length and Anisakis sp.…”

Anisakis spp. in European hake, Merluccius merluccius (L.) from the Atlantic off north-west Africa and the Mediterranean off southern Spain

“…These differences may be due to the different geographical origins of the fish. The infection parameters of different fish hosts vary from one geographical zone to another (Adroher et al 1996, Valero et al 2000, Rello 2003. According to Angot and Brasseur (1995), these fluctuations are the result of diverse biological factors such as: (a) the level of infection of marine mammal final hosts; (b) the abundance of obligatory intermediate hosts; and (c) the importance of each fish stock in the trophic chain since it includes all natural hosts which host the stages of the life cycle of the parasites and the trophic relationship among the all hosts.…”