Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the impacts of metazoan parasites on hematological and biochemical parameters and relative condition factor of tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum ) farmed in northern Brazil. A total of 32 juvenile fish were captured from a commercial fish farm located in the municipality of Rio Preto da Eva, Amazonas state, Brazil. Parasite prevalence was 100% for Anacanthorus spathulatus, Mymarothecium boegeri and Notozothecium janauachensis, 100% for Neoechinorhynchus buttnerae and 53.13% for Dolops geayi. The greatest mean parasite intensity was found in acantocephalans followed by monogeneans and branchiuran crustaceans. A negative correlation was observed between abundance of N. buttnerae and hematocrit percentage, hemoglobin concentration, total thrombocyte count and glucose and between abundance of the monogenean and glucose concentration. Parasitic infections caused damage in tambaqui in terms of the observed hematological parameters that were characterized by hypochromic anemia and thrombocytopenia, which are important parameters to be used in parasitic diagnosis. This study is the first record of the occurrence of Dolops geayi in farmed tambaqui in the Amazon.
Highlights
Colossoma macropomum, commonly known as tambaqui, is the most cultured native freshwater fish in Brazil at 137 thousand tons (27.0% of total production) (IBGE, 2016) due to its good zootechnical performance, rusticity, diet acceptance and number of fingerlings throughout the year (GOMES et al, 2010)
Parasite prevalence was 100% for monogeneans, identified as Anacanthorus spathulatus Kritsky et al (1979), Mymarothecium boegeri Cohen & Kohn (2005) and Notozothecium janauachensis Belmont‐Jégu, Domingues and Martins (2004), 100% for acanthocephalans Neoechinorhynchus buttnerae Golvan (1956) and 53.13% for branchiura crustaceans identified as Dolops geayi Bouvier (1897) (Table 1)
A total of 1,762 monogenean parasites were collected in the gills, and from these, 296 monogeneans were identified as 282 A. spathulatus (95.27% prevalence), 3 M. boegeri (1.01%) and 11 N. janauachensis (3.72%)
Summary
Commonly known as tambaqui, is the most cultured native freshwater fish in Brazil at 137 thousand tons (27.0% of total production) (IBGE, 2016) due to its good zootechnical performance, rusticity, diet acceptance and number of fingerlings throughout the year (GOMES et al, 2010). Among the main parasites that affect tambaqui culture in northern Brazil, acanthocephalans must be highlighted because they cause significant damage to fish production due to their high parasitic loads (CHAGAS et al, 2015; GOMES et al, 2017; JERÔNIMO et al, 2017; PEREIRA & MOREY, 2018). These studies emphasized losses due to infection by the protozoans Ichthyophthirius multifiliis and Piscinoodinium pillulare and monogenean helminths
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