A Review of the Parasites Infecting Fishes of the Genus Trachurus (Pisces: Carangidae)

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe horse mackerels of the genus Trachurus (Pisces: Carangidae) are commercially important pelagic fish resources worldwide. There have been several studies of the parasites infecting fishes of this genus, the first one concerning the occurrence of the coccidian Goussia cruciata Thélohan, 1892. Horse mackerels have been targeted in recent projects, in a number of countries that exploit this fish resource (Argentina, Chile, European and Mediterranean countries, North America), with a view of using parasites to define population structure, in conjunction with other methods and techniques, to achieve a better understanding of fish stocks and to minimize risks of localized extinctions. However, information on the occurrence of parasites in this fish genus is scattered through a substantial number of scientific journals, some of them of difficult access. The present review aims to compile the up-to-date knowledge on the occurrence of parasites of horse mackerels, from protozoans to metazoans, their distribution in diverse geographical areas, and to review and provide references to the studies of parasites as indicators of population structure.