Abstract
This study evaluated the use of gill parasitic monogenoideans from Sciades herzbergii (Siluriformes: Ariidae) as bioindicators of environmental quality in Amazonian estuarine ecosystems. Fish were caught in the tidal channels in an impacted area - IA, near the port of São Luís and a reference area - RA, in the Caeté estuary, Bragança. The influence of the capture site and seasonality on parasite abundance, environmental variables and biometric data of hosts were verified. A total of 416 S. herzbergii specimens were analyzed. The weight and total length of fish from the RA were greater than those of the IA. The relative condition factor was influenced by seasonality. A total of 4,265 monogenoidean specimens from the following species were identified: Chauhanellus boegeri, C. susamlimae, C. velum, Calceostomella herzbergii and Dactylogyridae gen. sp. The seasonal mean parasitic abundance of C. susamlimae was significantly different, with the highest values recorded during the dry season. The mean abundance of C. herzbergii was influenced by seasonality and by the capture site. During the rainy period, the parasite indices in the RA were higher than those of IA. C. herzbergii is a bioindicator sensitive to low water quality, especially in relation to water turbidity in Amazon estuaries.
Highlights
Coastal aquatic ecosystems represent one of the most vulnerable systems on the planet and face increased anthropogenic stress in terms of pollution, overuse, and environmental degradation (Palm et al, 2011)
This work aimed to qualify and quantify the diversity of monogenoidean parasites in S. herzbergii to develop a low-cost tool for evaluating and monitoring the environmental quality of Amazonian estuarine ecosystems using these parasites as bioindicators
These sites differed in relation to turbidity (F=23.375; p
Summary
Coastal aquatic ecosystems represent one of the most vulnerable systems on the planet and face increased anthropogenic stress in terms of pollution, overuse, and environmental degradation (Palm et al, 2011). In 2025, it is estimated that about 2.75 billion people will live less than 90 km from the coast, taking direct advantage of the resources these ecosystems provide (Palm et al, 2011). In developing countries, these ecosystems are impacted by anthropogenic activities such as urbanization, industrialization, deforestation, lack of sanitation systems, and aquaculture. Environmental change may be reflected in the supply and/or quality of resources used by organisms such as shelter, protection, feeding, reproduction, recruitment, and the predation/predator relationship (D’Amelio & Gerasi, 1997)
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