Prevalence and Morphological Identification of Digenean Trematode Species Recovered from Infected Organs of Lizardfish (Saurida undosquamis)

Abstract

Helminthic parasites of the marine fish (Saurida undosquamis) are investigated. Out of 192 specimens of the Saurida undosquamis were collected from the local market of Misurata city in Libya. The prevalence rate of Trematoda helminths in examined fish Saurida undosquamis, was high. Based on the morphological and morphometric characterization represented different species of Trematoda (Lecithochirium sp., Lecithochirium grandiporum, Aponurus laguncula, Neotorticaecum sp, Allocreadium sp, and Gonocerca sp.) was isolated of the total examined fish (185%, 96.4%) were infected with different species of Trematoda. The density of Trematoda was around 9390, and they were collected from the gills, stomach, and anterior and posterior parts of the intestine in all seasons, but Trematode infection was observed in the liver and muscles, the high-density rate in winter (4199), followed by autumn (3291), with non-significant differences between density rates in all seasons (P > 0.05). This study found a high infection rate with Lecithochirium sp. in the examined Saurida undosquamis.