Abstract
A total of 53 tamboatás, Hoplosternum littorale, from the Batalha River, São Paulo, southeastern Brazil, were examined between February 2014 to December 2016. Seventeen species of parasites were identified, and 961 specimens were collected . The richness of each community varied from one to seven species of parasites per fish. The metacercariae of Diplostomum lunaschiae showed higher prevalence and mean abundance, being the core species. Gyrodactylus sp. obtained a higher mean intensity value. Aporocotylidae gen. sp. showed a significant negative correlation between its abundance and the standard host weight and length, while Spiroxys sp. showed a significant negative correlation between its abundance and the host weight. Batalha River has importance as a maintainer of local biodiversity with a relevant contribution to the knowledge of freshwater biodiversity in the State of São Paulo. Gyrodactylidae gen. sp., A. mordax, Aporocotylidae gen. sp., D. lunaschiae, Diplostomidae gen. sp. 1, Contracaecum sp., D. renale, Porrocaecum sp., Pseudocapillaria sp. 1, Pseudocapillaria sp. 2, S. contortus, Oligobdella sp., and L. cyprinacea are parasites mentioned for the first time in H. littorale. Aporocotylidae gen. sp., Gyrodactylidae gen. sp., and Oligobdella sp. are new species in process of taxonomic description by the authors of the present study.
Highlights
The fishes of the Callichthyidae family are distributed by several countries in South America
Gyrodactylidae gen. sp., Austrodiplostomum mordax, Aporocotylidae gen. sp., D. lunaschiae, Diplostomidae gen. sp. 1, Contracaecum sp., Dioctophyme renale, Porrocaecum sp., Pseudocapillaria sp. 1, Pseudocapillaria sp. 2, Spiroxys contortus, Oligobdella sp., and Lernaea cyprinacea are parasites mentioned for the first time in H. littorale
Based on the data obtained, we conclude that the Batalha River is an important site for maintaining local biodiversity with a relevant contribution to the knowledge of freshwater biodiversity in the State of São Paulo
Summary
The fishes of the Callichthyidae family are distributed by several countries in South America They correspond to 7% of the species of Siluriformes in the world and can inhabit different environments, such as the muddy bottom of lakes and rivers until streams of fast waters, including those with critical levels of dissolved oxygen. Tamoatá, or caborja, it can be found throughout South America, encompassing several cisandine drains from the Amazon basin to the Prata river basin (Santos et al, 2009a). It is medium in size and is considered a benthonic and nocturnal fish, inhabiting ponds, and rivers of different sizes (Granado‐Lorencio et al, 2005). Larvae and juveniles feed on microcrustaceans and small invertebrates while adult individuals use detritus, insect larvae, macroinvertebrates, algae, fish scales, seeds, and small fragments of insects associated with sediment in their food (Hahn et al, 1998; Soares et al, 2008)
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