Abstract
The deep-water fish fauna of Macaronesian islands is currently estimated at a total of 1029 different fish species, but records of both ecto- and endoparasites are from only about 30 of those species. This fact presents an exciting field of research for scientists interested in fish parasitology, by exploring the structure of parasite communities and their connections with ecological and oceanographic variables. Research on the effect of climatic changes on the parasite faunas, on the occurrence of fish parasites in man and its impact on human health, has not been carried out to date. The present review aims to collate our present knowledge about the parasites of deep-water fishes of Macaronesia, and to suggest directions for future research on the parasites of fishes from the deepwater realm. A checklist of the parasites infecting the deep-water fishes from this region is included.
Highlights
The deep-sea habitat encompasses the ocean regions below 200m depth, with temperatures around 4C, subjected to high pressures, low nutrient concentrations and poor or no sunlight
The black scabbard fishes, Aphanopus carbo Lowe, 1839 and A. intermedius Parin, 1983, which have been commercially exploited for some years in Madeira, were subjected to several studies including parasites, growth performance and fisheries management [6 - 11]
This highlights the importance of the deep-water fishing resources for the fisheries economy of these archipelagos. Notwithstanding this high number of fish species, information on the occurrence of parasites and other biological aspects of deep-water fishes is currently restricted to only 31 fish species, the commercially exploited ones and some other species of no commercial value collected during scientific deep-water fish surveys [16, 19]
Summary
The deep-sea habitat encompasses the ocean regions below 200m depth, with temperatures around 4C, subjected to high pressures, low nutrient concentrations and poor or no sunlight. Madeira archipelago is the richest in species, with about 49.6% of the species registered for the North Atlantic, closely followed by the Canary Archipelago with 48.6% of species This highlights the importance of the deep-water fishing resources for the fisheries economy of these archipelagos. Notwithstanding this high number of fish species, information on the occurrence of parasites and other biological aspects of deep-water fishes is currently restricted to only 31 fish species, the commercially exploited ones and some other species of no commercial value collected during scientific deep-water fish surveys [16, 19]. Due to the lack of knowledge of the parasites infecting deepwater fishes from Macaronesian islands, it is strongly recommended that researchers engage themselves in basic scientific projects, targeting the study of the parasite diversity in fish species from this realm. This would lead to the description of many parasite species new to science, as well as to better understanding the biology and the feeding habits of the fish, based on the occurrence of the parasites
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