The value of host and parasite identification for arripid fish

Abstract

Accurate identification of fishes and their parasites is fundamental to the development, management and sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture worldwide. We examined three commercially and recreationally exploited Australian arripid species (Pisces: Arripidae), namely Australian herring (Arripis georgianus), eastern Australian salmon (A. trutta) and western Australian salmon (A. truttaceus), to determine their metazoan parasite assemblages and infection parameters. We identified 49 parasite species including 35 new parasite–host records and recognised seven ambiguous parasite–host records in the literature, largely a consequence of unsubstantiated host identifications in previous studies. Morphological and molecular methods confirmed a new western extension for the range of A. trutta, ∼1000 km west of the previous record. Confusion about host identification and the range extension documented here has implications for the management of these economically important arripid species in southern Australian waters. Our examination of an endemic Australian fish family emphasises that accurate identification of fishes and their parasites is a fundamental pre-requisite for efficient and sustainable resource management.