Abstract
This study used information about Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) inopinatus Travassos, Artigas & Pereira, 1928 that had been published over a period of more than 90 years to investigate the infection and distribution patterns of this nematode in teleost freshwater fish in Brazil. This study was carried out using 181 samples from 82 fish species in 19 families within the five orders, with predominance of Characiformes species (71.6%). We organized a matrix-based parasite-host system in which the fish species were classified in different trophic levels and parasitic infection parameters according data available on host fish species with different life histories and geographic distributions across Brazilian hydrographic basins. Procamallanus (S.) inopinatus showed prevalence ranging from low to moderate, low abundance, low intensity, typically aggregated dispersion, and preferential infection of the hosts' gastrointestinal tract. There was difference in prevalence between detritivorous, omnivorous, carnivorous and piscivorous hosts, but no difference in intensity and abundance was found due to similarity in the communities of this endoparasite among the host fish species. The geographic distribution of this parasite encompasses the river of the Amazon, Paraná, São Francisco, North Atlantic, South Atlantic and Eastern basins. Lastly, suggestions regarding the life cycle of P. (S.) inopinatus, with its potential intermediate hosts, were discussed.
Highlights
Over recent years, parasites have been recognized as important components of global biodiversity (Luque & Poulin, 2007; Luque et al, 2017)
In Brazil, the freshwater fish nematode fauna has been studied since the beginning of the 20th century (Luque et al, 2017), inventories that include the diversity of this helminth taxon have only recently been published
No statistical comparison was carried out between the samples of parasites of wild fish (N = 177) and aquaculture fish (N = 4), since the majority of the samples were from wild fish populations. All of these surveys were chosen because they represented the various ecosystems found in Brazil and, would be able to help answer the main questions of this study about the pattern and distribution of P. (S.) inopinatus in freshwater fish across Brazil
Summary
Parasites have been recognized as important components of global biodiversity (Luque & Poulin, 2007; Luque et al, 2017). In Brazil, the freshwater fish nematode fauna has been studied since the beginning of the 20th century (Luque et al, 2017), inventories that include the diversity of this helminth taxon have only recently been published Such studies were carried out on different species of fish in certain locations in the country: for example, the region of the middle and upper Paraná River, in the state of Paraná (Takemoto et al, 2009; Kohn et al, 2011), and Guandu River, in the state of Rio de Janeiro (Azevedo et al, 2010).
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