Abstract
Hoplias malabaricus is a non-migratory fish commonly found in the Mogi Guaçu River basin, mainly feeding on fish, small crustaceans and insects. It forms part of the diet for humans, birds and some mammals. This fish has great nutritional value, with both good quality and good quantities of essential vitamins and amino acids. Regarding parasitic fauna, this fish can host different species of helminths in its gastrointestinal tract. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible interference of parasitism in the meat yield from H. malabaricus and the centesimal composition. For this purpose, fish specimens were collected from marginal lagoons of the Mogi Guaçu River (Pirassununga, state of São Paulo, Brazil) using hooks and fishing nets. We found that all specimens of H. malabaricus were parasitized by at least one species, including larvae of Contracaecum sp. (Nematoda: Anisakidae). Parasitism did not have any significant influence on centesimal composition, but meat yield was negatively correlated with the abundance of larvae.
Highlights
Fish meat is used as food by both humans and other animals
We found no available studies showing the effect of nematode infection on fish yield, the aim of the present study was to identify the gastrointestinal helminthological fauna of H. malabaricus from the marginal lagoons of the Mogi Guaçu River (Pirassununga, state of São Paulo, Brazil) and its influence on meat yield and centesimal composition
All the specimens of H. malabaricus that were collected were parasitized, with predominance of Contracaecum sp. larvae. This was similar to the results found by Madi & Silva (2005) in the Jaguarí reservoir (São Paulo, Brazil) and by Oliveira et al (2018) in the Eastern Amazon region (Brazil)
Summary
Fish meat is used as food by both humans and other animals. It is rich in proteins and has a reserve of polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic omega 3 series, providing numerous benefits for its consumers (Durmuş, 2019).Hoplias malabaricus (Bloch, 1794) (Characiformes: Erythrinidae), commonly known in Brazil as traíra (trahira in English), is a neotropical predatory fish with importance for both commercial and subsistence fishing (Oliveira et al, 2018). Fish meat is used as food by both humans and other animals. It is rich in proteins and has a reserve of polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic omega 3 series, providing numerous benefits for its consumers (Durmuş, 2019). Hoplias malabaricus (Bloch, 1794) (Characiformes: Erythrinidae), commonly known in Brazil as traíra (trahira in English), is a neotropical predatory fish with importance for both commercial and subsistence fishing (Oliveira et al, 2018). It serves as food for birds and mammals (Meneguetti et al, 2013). About 800,000 kg of this fish are produced through Brazilian aquaculture annually (IBGE, 2016)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
