Helminths and the feeding habits of the marbled moray cod Muraenolepis marmorata Günther, 1880 (Gadiformes, Muraenolepididae) in the Ross Sea (Southern Ocean)

Abstract

The marbled moray cod, Muraenolepis marmorata Gunther, 1880, is one of the most common benthic fish in the Antarctic, but our knowledge about its biology and participation in parasitic life cycles as a host is quite scarce. The boundaries of its geographical distribution are unclear, but it definitely inhabits the Ross Sea, the Amundsen Sea, the slopes of seamounts, underwater elevations, and islands in the Indian Ocean sector of the sub-Antarctica, and it is endemic in the Antarctic. This article presents data on helminth infections of marbled moray cod in the Ross Sea and its eating habits. Specimens were examined during commercial longline fishing in the Ross Sea in January 2015. Being a benthophage, M. marmorata feeds on a variety of benthic invertebrates, including gastropods, bivalves, monoplacophores, polyplacophores, ophiuroids, and sea urchins. Twenty species and unidentified forms were found using standard parasitological methods. Most of the recorded species (60%) are trematodes, and four are specific for muraenolepidids. Heterosentis heteracanthus and Gonocerca crassa are recorded for M. marmorata for the first time. Comparison with an earlier studied infection of M. marmorata in the sub-Antarctic revealed the richness of the Ross Sea parasite fauna.