Abstract
In fish, one of the most important interactions is that occur between parasite species and environment. Wild fish interactions with parasites of different taxa can result in diseases for fish and consequently damages to the fishing industry. This study investigated the ectoparasite fauna in Mugil curema (Valenciennes, 1836), in Amapá state estuary, in Brazilian coast region. The parasite prevalence was 51.4%, and a total of 282 parasites were collected among Ligophorus brasiliensis (Abdallah, Azevedo & Luque 2009), Excorallana longicornis (Lemos de Castro, 1960), larvae of Gnathia sp. and Ergasilus atafonensis (Amado & Rocha, 1995), but L. brasiliensis was the dominant parasite. The parasites presented highly aggregated dispersion, except for Gnathia sp. that had a random dispersion. There was a predominance of hosts non-parasitized and parasitized by one species. The relative condition factor did not differ between parasitized and non-parasitized fish. The body size of hosts did not influence the parasite abundance. The community of ectoparasites consisted of low species richness with low infection levels. This is the first study on parasites of fish from the coast of the State of Amapá and is the first report of Gnathia sp. for M. curema.
Highlights
Fish have a great importance for human populations, as well as for nutrition of animals with zootechnical interest
This study investigated the ectoparasite fauna in Mugil curema in Amapá state estuary, in Brazilian coast region
The parasite prevalence was 51.4%, and a total of 282 parasites were collected among Ligophorus brasiliensis (Dactylogyridae), Excorallana longicornis (Corallanidae), larvae of Gnathia sp. (Gnathiidae) and Ergasilus atafonensis (Ergasilidae), but the dominance was of L. brasiliensis
Summary
Fish have a great importance for human populations, as well as for nutrition of animals with zootechnical interest. Mugil curema (Valenciennes, 1836), named white mullet, a pelagic fish of the family Mugilidae in Americas that is distributed from Cape Cod (USA) to Brazil, has a great importance for fishing. It has been reported in the Senegal River outlet southwards to Namibia, in Africa (Ibáñez-Agurre et al 2006; Froese & Pauly 2021). Juveniles of M. curema enter the lacustrine-estuarine systems, where they grow to reach the adult stage, and migrate in shoals to the coastal pelagic zone to spawn This fish feeds on microscopic or filamentous algae and planktonic organisms (Cavalcanti et al 2011; Moutinho & Alves 2014; Ruiz-Ramírez et al 2017). Due to the development of aquaculture programs for M. curema, ecological studies on parasites have increased in wild populations of this fish
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