Metazoan Parasite Communities Research Articles

Inter-annual and seasonal variations of the metazoan parasite communities of the blue sea catfish Ariopsis guatemalensis (Siluriformes: Ariidae), in a tropical coastal lagoon

Parasitological studies of long-term inter-annual variations provide more precise and reliable information about the biological structure of fish parasite communities, and constitute a reference data base for future studies. A total of 1103 blue sea catfish Ariopsis guatemalensis from a tropical eutrophic coastal lagoon were examined for parasites over a 22-year period (from May 2000 to October 2022), to test the hypothesis that parasite communities of this host, should exhibit greater variations in their structure and species composition mainly over long-term periods. Three species of monoxenous (single-host life cycle), and nine of heteroxenous (multi-host life cycle) parasites were identified. The results indicated that parasite species composition of this catfish has remained stable over a 22-years period. However, the community structure has registered notable changes over periods of several years, mainly due to the replacement of the numerically dominant species. Temporal variations in the infection dynamics of component parasite species, were possibly caused by a combination of biotic and abiotic factors, influenced by the seasonal dry/rainy cycle, which can affect the availability of intermediate host populations, as well as the feeding and reproductive behavior of the host.

Low similarity between parasite communities of ten sympatric carangid species

Host phylogeny and ecological convergence are two factors thought to influence the structure of parasite communities. The aims of this study were to determine the diversity of metazoan parasites of 10 sympatric fish species of the family Carangidae from the southeastern Gulf of California, and to analyze their similarity at infracommunity and component community levels, in order to determine if the host species, particularly those congeneric with similar ecological characteristics, exhibit similar assemblages of parasites. In total, 874 fish specimens were examined and 40 parasite species were identified. The component community was composed by 21 parasite species in Caranx caninus, 20 in C. caballus, 11 in C. vinctus, five in Chloroscombrus orqueta, four in Carangoides otrynter, seven in Hemicaranx leucurus, eight in Selene brevoortii, 14 in S. peruviana, and 11 in Trachinotus rhodopus. The metazoan parasite communities of C. vinctus, Ch. orqueta, H. leucurus, and S. brevoortii are reported here for the first time. The parasite communities of the remaining six carangid species have been reported from regions other than the Gulf of California. All fish species differed significantly regarding the diversity of their parasite infracommunities. This possibly is due to different patterns of habitat use among fish species, and because of the differential host specificity among parasite taxa. Nonetheless, when the analysis was restricted to common parasite species, some fish showed similar parasite infracommunities, particularly congeners of the genus Selene as well as C. caballus and C. vinctus. The component communities of species of Selene were highly similar (>65%), but the three species of Caranx were not. This result supports the hypothesis that congeneric fish species with similar ecological filters harbor similar parasite communities. However, the difference observed between C. caninus and C. caballus suggests that these species, despite being evolutionary and ecologically related, have different physiological or immunological characteristics (compatibility filters) that may result in different parasite communities.

Stock discrimination of mackerel scad Decapterus macarellus (Cuvier, 1833) in the eastern Indonesia based on metazoan fish parasite composition

Mackerel scad Decapterus macarellus (Cuvier, 1833), a small pelagic species, is the major catch in Asia, particularly in Indonesia. Despite a high catch volume, its utilization status is relatively unknown since stock assessment is mostly conducted for the entire small pelagic group without separating the species. Studies on population biology and stock distribution of mackerel scad in Indonesia so far involved catch-based production models, growth parameter analyses, otoliths, and fish genetics. We herewith discriminate eastern Indonesian fish stocks of D. macarellus by comparing the respective metazoan parasite community. We collected 105 specimens of mackerel scad from three closely connected fishing grounds representing two Indonesian fisheries management areas. Recorded metazoan parasites belonged to the Monogenea (4 species), Digenea (8 species), Acanthocephala (1 species), and Crustacea (2 species), with the two Monogenea Allopseudodiclidophora opelu (Yamaguti, 1965) and Pseudodiclidophora decapteri (Yamaguti, 1965) being the most prevalent. A multidimensional scaling analysis revealed the clustering pattern of the hosts based on the parasites, identifying two major fish stocks, the North Sulawesi group and the North Maluku group. The strength and weaknesses of the so far applied stock assessment methodologies for this small pelagic fish in Indonesia are discussed.

Factors determining community structure of metazoan parasites from brown-spotted grouper, Epinephelus chlorostigma (Valenciennes, 1828) in Southern Saudi Arabia

Several factors influence the structure of parasite communities, which are important components of the biodiversity of various ecosystems. Some of these factors may be related to the environment and/or to the host. The present study evaluated the influence of host size and season on the structure of the metazoan parasite community of the brown-spotted grouper, Epinephelus chlorostigma. One hundred thirty-two fish were collected between March 2018 to February 2019 from the Red Sea, Saudi coast, Southern Saudi Arabia. Eight parasite species were recorded: one copepod (Sarcotaces sp.), one isopod (Argathona rhinoceros), two monogeneans (Pseudorhabdosynochus epinepheli and Megalocotyloides epinepheli), three digeneans (Prosorhynchus epinepheli, Helicometrina nimia, and Erilepturus hamati), and one nematode (Cucullanus epinepheli). The overall prevalence was 43.2% Digeneans were the most frequent parasite species and represented (50.55%) followed by monogeneans (45.05%), crustacean (3.42%), and nematode (0.98%) of the total individual parasites collected from 57 infected fish. Parasite community structure and species composition varied significantly among host size. Positive associations were found between infection parameters of parasite species and host size. Our results suggest that parasite infection parameters were affected by host size and season. Further long-term research is required to conclude the factors determining the structuring of the parasite community of E. chlorostigma.

Structure of the metazoan parasite communities of haemulid fish (Actinopterygii: Perciformes) in the South Atlantic Ocean: a comparative approach.

Haemulidae represents one of the most diverse, widespread and conspicuous families of Perciformes, in which most species are marine, some brackish and rarely from freshwater. From April 2009 to July 2012, 120 specimens of Conodon nobilis, 60 Orthopristis rubra and 50 Anisotremus virginicus were collected off the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and analyzed for metazoan parasites. A total of 16 parasite taxa were found on/in A. virginicus, 19 on/in Co. nobilis and 21 on/in O. rubra, in which ectoparasites were most common on A. virginicus and Co. nobilis and endoparasites in O. rubra. All parasites showed aggregate pattern of distribution (discrepancy index values higher than 0.70). Mean abundance, species richness and Brillouin index (diversity) differed among the host species, i.e., O. rubra showed the highest values, followed by A. virginicus and Co. nobilis with intermediate and lowest values, respectively. At infracommunity level was possible to observe high similarity of parasite composition among the three host species. The digeneans Leurodera decora and Monorchis latus, and the acanthocephalan Koronacantha sp. represent new locality records off Brazil. Moreover, five, four and two taxa are reported, for the first time, parasitizing Co. nobilis, A. virginicus and O. rubra, respectively.

Parasites and prey of the nursehound shark Scyliorhinus stellaris (Linnaeus, 1758): Insights into hidden trophic web interactions in the Mediterranean Sea.

The metazoan parasite community and the stomach contents of the nursehound shark Scyliorhinus stellaris from the Gulf of Naples (central Mediterranean Sea) were studied. The nursehound shark harboured a poor parasite community composed of a species of gill monogenean (Hexabothrium appendiculatum) and three intestinal cestode taxa (Acanthobothrium coronatum and two unidentified species of the genera Yamaguticestus and Scyphophyllidium), all represented by adult stages. Hosts were mostly parasitized by individuals of A. coronatum, which was the most abundant species and contributed to almost 80% of the total number of parasites found. Conversely, other trophically transmitted parasites (i.e., Yamaguticestus sp. and Scyphophyllidium sp.) showed low prevalence and abundance. The parasite infracommunity was poor, showing low values of species richness, total mean abundance, and diversity indices. Overall, 52 prey items belonging to 13 taxa were identified in the stomach contents. Cephalopods were the most important prey items (represented by nine taxa) and the most diverse and abundant group. In the multivariate space provided by a principal component of mixed data (PCAmix), nursehound sharks distributed along two main axes, related to individual traits (first axis) and stomach contents (including empty ones, second axis). A logistic regression based on the first two axes of the PCAmix showed a significant influence of host individual traits and, to a lesser extent, of stomach contents, regarding the probability of being infected by A. coronatum. Alongside specific traits already associated with parasites transmission, our results highlight the importance of cephalopods in transferring cestode infections through trophic web interactions in the top-predator nursehound shark.

Parasite communities in a marine fish indicate ecological recovery from the impacts of the Prestige oil-spill 12–13 years after the disaster

The Prestige oil-spill (2002) is one of the major marine accidents resulting in contamination of virtually all types of marine habitat along c.900 km of coastline in the North-East Atlantic. Environmental pollution affects parasite populations and communities, both directly and through effects on intermediate and definitive hosts. However, the effects of oil-spills on shelf benthic communities are poorly known. This study addressed the hypothesis of recovery of parasite communities in a marine sparid teleost, the bogue Boops boops (L.) (Teleostei: Sparidae), as indicators of environmental pollution and its effects on benthic/pelagic invertebrate communities in an impacted area off the Galician coast, Spain, 12–13 years after the Prestige oil-spill. Novel data for the metazoan parasite communities collected during 2014–2015 were analysed in association with two unique datasets, one comprising baseline data collected in 2001, one year before the Prestige oil-spill, and one comprising data collected 3–4 years post-spill (2005–2006). Using the taxonomically consistent data on parasites in a series of fish seasonal samples, we found significant differences between the two seasonal post-spill datasets taken at a 9-year time interval (3–4 years and 12–13 years post-spill) in most community metrics and infection parameters of the common species. This was in sharp contrast with the few differences between the long-term post-spill dataset of 2014–2015 and the pre-spill dataset of 2001. Multivariate community similarity analyses confirmed that these differences reflected in the substantial differentiation of parasite community composition and structure of the post-spill communities and the significant homogenisation of communities sampled 12–13 years post-spill and baseline communities. Overall, the novel analyses demonstrated a long-term directional trend in parasite community succession towards ecological recovery irrespective of the natural seasonal variability. These findings suggest longer-term oil-spill impacts on shelf benthic/pelagic invertebrate communities lasting over 10 years.

Diversity and community ecology of metazoan parasites in Pimelodus ornatus (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) from the Amazonas River in Brazil.

The present study investigated the metazoan parasite community in Pimelodus ornatus from the Amazon River, in the state of Amapá (Brazil). Of 71 fish examined, 70.4% were parasitized by Demidospermus sp. (Monogenea), Cucullanus pinnai, Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) inopinatus and Contracaecum sp. (Nematoda) and plerocercoids from Proteocephalidae gen. sp. (Cestoda). The dominance was of nematode species such as Procamallanus (S.) inopinatus and Contracaecum sp. The parasites showed a highly aggregated dispersion and a predominance of hosts infected by one species of parasite. The parasite community was characterized by a low Shannon diversity index, low evenness and low species richness. The richness of parasite species, Shannon's diversity index, abundance of P. (S.) inopinatus and Proteocephalidae gen. sp. showed a positive correlation with the length of the hosts. Therefore, the size of the hosts had an influence on the parasite community and infracommunities, as well as their intermediate position in the food web. This is the first record of P. (S.) inopinatus and Contracaecum sp. for P. ornatus.

Metazoan Parasite Communities of Three Endemic Cichlid Fish Species from the Upper Grijalva River, Chiapas, Mexico.

SummaryWe recorded the metazoan parasite communities in three endemic cichlids (Chiapaheros grammodes, Vieja breidohri and V. hartwegi) collected between November 2008 and July 2009 in the upper Grijalva River Basin (GRB), Chiapas, Mexico. In total, 6,287 individual parasites belonging to 18 taxa (1 monogenean, 6 digeneans, 1 cestode, 4 nematodes, 2 acanthocephalans, 1 hirudinean, 2 copepods and 1 pentastomid) were found. Eleven metazoans were adult forms and 7 larvae; moreover, 14 were endoparasites and 4 ectoparasites. Sixteen parasite taxa represent new geographical and host records. The helminth community in the three cichlids was characterized by higher number of generalists than specialists, as well as a higher proportion of autogenics than allogenics. The metazoan parasites showed prevalence and mean abundances moderate to high. The infracommunities and component community of metazoan parasites had low diversity, richness, and number of individuals and are similar to those reported for other cichlids in Southeastern Mexico, characterized by the presence of typical parasites of cichlids, with a high number of digeneans and generalist parasites. We report the introduced Asian parasitic copepod Neoergasilus japonicus parasitizing endangered or threatened endemic cichlids in the upper GRB. This copepod have been widespread in other freshwater fish species, mainly in Asia (China, India, Japan, Russia, Taiwan), Europe (France, Hungary, Italy, Turkey), and America (Cuba, Mexico, Peru, United States).

Interannual and spatial variation in the parasite communities of Pacific sierra Scomberomorus sierra (Jordan et Starks) on Mexico's Pacific coast

The parasite communities of predatory fish can be species rich and diverse, making them effective models for studying the factors influencing temporal and spatial variation in these communities. Over a ten-year period an initial study was done on the metazoan parasite communities of Scomberomorus sierra (Jordan et Starks) from four locations on the south-central Pacific coast of Mexico. Twenty-four metazoan parasite taxa were identified from 674 S. sierra specimens: three species of Monogenea, eight Digenea, one Cestoda, one Acanthocephala, four Nematoda, five Copepoda, and two Isopoda. The parasite communities were characterised by high ectoparasite species richness, with monogeneans and some didymozoid species being numerically dominant. Community structure and species composition varied between locations, seasons and sampling years. Similarity between the component parasite communities was generally low, despite the occurrence of a distinctive set of host-specialist parasites. Interannual or local variations in some biotic and abiotic environmental factors are possible causes of the observed variations in the structure and species composition of the parasite community of S. sierra. Ecological factors were therefore considered to have more influence than phylogenetic aspects (host phylogeny) on parasite community structure.

Parasite communities of striped bonito Sarda orientalis (Pisces: Scombridae) on the Pacific coast of Mexico

ABSTRACT The parasite communities of marine fish in the tropical Pacific remain poorly studied. We did an initial study of the metazoan parasite communities of striped bonito Sarda orientalis from the Pacific coast of Mexico. Two hundred thirty individuals from two locations were collected between April 2017 and March 2018. Twenty-two metazoan parasite taxa (20 helminths and two Crustacea) were identified: one species of Monogenea, twelve of Digenea, one of Acanthocephala, two of Cestoda, four of Nematoda, one of Copepoda, and one of Isopoda. Didymozoid digeneans (six species) were the most frequent and abundant parasite species at both sampling locations. Parasite species richness at the component community level was similar in both locations (16–17 species). However, parasite community structure and species composition varied between them. Local fluctuations in some biotic (e.g. host feeding behaviour and body size) and abiotic environmental factors were probably responsible for these variations.

Life-cycle mediated effects of urbanization on parasite communities in the estuarine fish, Fundulus heteroclitus.

This study examined the relationship between urbanization and parasite community structure in the estuarine fish, Fundulus heteroclitus. We measured landscape and physicochemical factors associated with urbanization at 6 sites from 4 collection periods. Concurrently, we quantified the metazoan parasite community in F. heteroclitus collected at those sites, with 105 fish studied per site during the 4 collection periods. Parasite community composition differed among sites. Host size was the most important variable for direct life-cycle parasite assemblages and indirect life-cycle parasites at the individual fish level, while landscape and physicochemical factors determined the structure of indirect life-cycle parasite assemblages at the population scale. Variation in the prevalence and intensity of infection of two indirect life-cycle parasites, Lasiocotus minutus and Glossocercus caribaensis, were the primary parasites that drove differences across sites. Variation in the presence/absence of these indirect life-cycle parasite species was associated with sediment Ni concentrations, patch density, and marsh size. Our data support the hypothesis that urbanization, acting at both landscape and physicochemical scales, can have a significant impact on parasite community structure. This, however, varied by parasite life history: there was little effect of urbanization on the prevalence and intensity of direct life-cycle parasites, but significant variation was detected for indirect life-cycle parasites. This study demonstrates how anthropogenically driven landscape change influences fine-scale population dynamics of parasites.

Metazoan parasites of Calophysus macropterus (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) in the Acre and Iaco rivers in the western Amazon region of Brazil: diversity, similarity and seasonal variation

ABSTRACTThe diversity, similarity and seasonal variation of metazoan parasite communities in Calophysus macropterus in the Acre and Iaco rivers, in the western Amazon (Brazil), was investigated. Parasites from 13 taxa were collected from C. macropterus in both rivers: four species of monogeneans, four nematodes, two cestodes, one digenean, one crustacean and one pentastomid. In hosts from the Acre river, Cucullanus pinnai predominated; while in hosts in the Iaco river, Monticellia amazonica predominated. The component communities of the parasites among the hosts in the two rivers presented high similarity (100%). Prevalence of Alinema amazonicum was higher in hosts in the Acre river; while the prevalence of C. pinnai was higher in hosts in the Iaco river and the mean prevalence and abundance of M. amazonica were higher in fish from the Iaco river. Regarding C. macropterus from the Acre river, infection levels by A. amazonicum were higher during the rainy season, while Demidospermus pinirampi only occurred in the dry season and Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) inopinatus only occurred in the rainy season. In hosts from the Iaco river, infections by larvae of Anisakidae gen. sp. were higher during the dry season, while infection by Rudolphiella piracatinga and Sebekia sp. only occurred in the rainy season. However, P. (S.) inopinatus, Ergasilus callophysus, Ameloblastella unapi, Demidospermus luckyi, Demidospermus macropteri and D. pinirampi only occurred in the dry season. High similarity of the component communities of the parasite was observed between the rainy and dry seasons. These results suggest that factors other than location and seasonality were influencing the communities and infracommunities of the parasites found. Lastly, C. macropterus is a new host for almost 50% of the parasite species found. In addition, the results from the present study have expanded the geographical range of these 13 species of parasites to the western Amazon region.

Metazoan parasite communities of the Pacific jack Caranx caninus (Pisces: Carangidae): exploring the variability of their parasite communities

ABSTRACTAn initial study was done of the metazoan parasite communities of Caranx caninus from the Pacific coast of Mexico. Parasite communities were characterised and analyses were done to determine if these experience spatial or temporal variations in structure and/or species composition. Four hundred ninety-two C. caninus were collected between April 2014 and December 2018 from four locations. Thirty-five metazoan parasite species were identified: 6 species of Monogenea, 12 Digenea, 1 Acanthocephala, 4 Nematoda, 10 Copepoda and 2 Isopoda. Monogeneans were the most frequent and abundant parasite species at all locations and in all years. Parasite species richness at the component community level varied significantly from 7 (San Blas 2017) to 22 (Acapulco 2018a). The component communities and infracommunities of C. caninus exhibited similar patterns: low species numbers, low diversity, and dominance by a single species (the monogenean Protomicrocotyle manteri). Parasite community structure and species composition varied between locations and/or sampling years. Seasonal or local fluctuations in biotic and abiotic environmental factors were probably responsible for these variations.

Interannual and Seasonal Variation in Protozoan and Metazoan Parasite Communities of Hemibrycon surinamensis, a Characid Fish Inhabiting the Brazilian Amazon.

Few studies on the effects of rainy/dry cycle and interannual variation in parasites of Amazonian fish have been carried out. We investigated the influence of interannual variation and seasonality on the community structure and infracommunities of parasites in Hemibrycon surinamensis in a tributary of the Amazon River, in northern Brazil. The fish were examined for the presence of ectoparasites and endoparasites. In 2011, 9 parasite species were found (2 Protozoa, 2 Monogenea, 1 Digenea, 2 Nematoda and 2 Crustacea), and in 2016, 10 parasite species (3 Protozoa, 2 Monogenea, 1 Digenea, 3 Nematoda and 1 Pentastomida). No qualitative or quantitative dissimilarity in the component communities of parasites was observed between 2011 and 2016, but Brillouin Diversity Index, species richness and evenness were higher in 2016, while Berger-Parker dominance was higher in 2011. In both years, Ichthyophthirius multifiliis and Piscinoodinium pillulare were predominated. Some few species of parasites had interannual (P. pillulare and Genarchella genarchella) and seasonal (Trichodina sp., I. multifiliis, P. pillulare and J. hexops) variation patterns. Species richness of parasites was higher in the dry season, but Brillouin diversity, evenness and Berger-Parker dominance were similar between the seasons. Such seasonal variations were due to the host's the availability of infectious stages of parasites with direct life cycle. Variations due to seasonal dry/rainy cycle, which influenced the availability of infective stages of parasites, and host size are the factors causing the changes interannual.

Metazoan parasite communities of Selar crumenophthalmus and Decapterus muroadsi (Pisces: Carangidae) from Mexican Pacific coasts

ABSTRACTMetazoan parasites communities of marine fishes can include both adults and larval stages of several endoparasite groups that use fishes as intermediate or paratenic hosts. The richness and abundance of parasite species larvae that harbour a fish species can therefore be a good indicator of that species’ role as an intermediate host to endoparasite species.The parasite communities of two small carangid fishes (Selar crumenophthalmus and Decapterus muroadsi) from Mexican Pacific coasts were quantified and analysed. Five hundred sixty-three carangids (S. crumenophthalmus, n = 402; and D. muroadsi, n = 161) were collected between April 2014 and April 2018 from three locations. Twenty-four metazoan parasite species were identified in both hosts: five species of Monogenea (adults), eight of Digenea (7 adults and 1 metacercaria), two of Cestoda (larvae), two of Nematoda (one adult and one larva), two of Acanthocephala (adults), and five of Copepoda. Larval helminths numerically dominated the endoparasite communities of both hosts, suggesting that these carangids are important intermediate hosts for several parasite species. Component parasite community richness and species composition differed between hosts, locations, and sampling years. Variations in host feeding behaviour, and body size were considered as important factors influencing these differences.

Repeated reduction in parasite diversity in invasive populations of Xenopus laevis: a global experiment in enemy release

The introduction of species to multiple continents creates natural experiments suited to the evaluation of ecological hypotheses. For the Enemy Release Hypothesis (ERH), which postulates that the success of invasive populations hinges upon release from the effects of their natural enemies, assessments of parasite loss during invasion across independent geographical replicates are scarce. This study is the first to test the ERH for a globally invasive amphibian, Xenopus laevis, a successful invader on four continents with a well-described parasite fauna. In this study, the metazoan parasite communities of X. laevis from 20 invasive and 27 native sites in five countries and three continents were compared. An overall pattern of reduced parasite diversity in invasive X. laevis was not yet countered by acquisition of novel parasites. Invasive X. laevis harboured impoverished parasite communities that were distinct from those of native X. laevis from undisturbed habitats. Conversely, parasite communities from native X. laevis from disturbed habitats were similar to those from the invasive range. Accompanying parasites were common in the native range and included both generalists with indirect and specialists with direct life cycles. Our findings emphasise that parasite loss is characteristic of the invasion process of X. laevis and possibly contributes to its success as a global invader. The ERH is supported in terms of metazoan parasites as natural enemies, irrespective of the geographical origin, climatic conditions and invasion history of the host populations. This study also draws attention to parasites that co-invade with their hosts as invaders in their own right.

Temporal and spatial variations in the metazoan parasite communities of the Panama spadefish,Parapsettus panamensis(Pisces: Ephippidae), from the Pacific coast of Mexico

AbstractIn the tropics, variations in the structure and species composition of marine fish parasite communities over several years have received limited attention. Changes in water temperature in the tropics are not as extreme as in temperate climes, and the processes that generate variations in these parasite communities are as yet unclear. The parasite communities in populations ofParapsettus panamensisfrom four locations on the south‐central Pacific coast of Mexico were quantified and analyzed. Four hundred forty‐six fish were collected over a 6‐year period (2012; 2013; 2016a,b; and 2017). Twenty‐three metazoan parasite species were recovered and identified: three species of Monogenea (present as adults); eight species of Digenea (adults); one species of Acanthocephala (juveniles); one species of Cestoda (larvae); three species of Nematoda (two present as adults and one present as larvae); four species of Copepoda; and three species of Isopoda (two present as adults, and one present as larvae). At the component community level, parasite species richness varied significantly from 10 (Marquelia 2016) to 17 species (Acapulco Bay 2012). The component communities and infracommunities ofP. panamensisexhibited a similar pattern: low species numbers, low diversity, and dominance by a single parasite species. Parasite community structure and species composition varied between sampling years and locations. The main factors responsible for these variations were host traits such as feeding behavior and body size, and occurrence of a set of distinctive parasite species.

Factors linked to temporal and spatial variation in the metazoan parasite communities of green jack Caranx caballus (Günther 1868) (Pisces: Carangidae) from the Pacific coast of Mexico

ABSTRACTBiotic or abiotic factors responsible for temporal or spatial variation in metazoan parasite communities of the green jack Caranx caballus were studied over a nine-year period using samples collected at locations along the south-central Pacific coast of Mexico. A total of 708 fish were collected from six locations between December 2009 and October 2017. Thirty-two parasite species were identified: three Monogenea, nine Digenea, two Cestoda, five Nematoda, eight Copepoda, and three Isopoda. At the component community level, parasite species richness varied significantly from seven (Zihuatanejo 2016) to 18 (Acapulco Bay 2011). The component communities and infracommunities of C. caballus exhibited a similar pattern: low species numbers, low diversity, and dominance by a single species (mainly the monogenean Pseudomazocraes selene or the digenean Bucephalus varicus). Parasite community structure and species composition varied between locations and/or sampling years. The main factors responsible for these variations were host traits such as feeding behaviour and body size, the occurrence of a set of distinctive parasite species, and possible variations in the availability of infected prey between locations.

Species richness and similarity of metazoan parasite communities in three species of leatherjacket (Oligoplites: Pisces: Carangidae) from the Pacific coast of Mexico

AbstractSpecies richness and similarity in metazoan parasite communities of fishes can be influenced by several biotic (age, body size, vagility, feeding and social behavior, among others), and local abiotic (temperature, salinity, etc.) factors. The parasite communities of three species of Oligoplites, marine fishes from the Pacific coast of Mexico, were quantified and analyzed. Four hundred sixty‐eight leatherjackets (O. altus, n=94; O. saurus, n=260; and O. refulgens, n=114) were collected from February 2016 to June 2017 from five locations. Twenty‐eight species of metazoan parasites were recovered and identified: four species of Monogenea (adults), nine of Digenea (seven adults and two metacercariae); two of Cestoda (larvae); four of Nematoda (two adults and two larvae); four of Acanthocephala (two adults, one juvenile, and one cystacanth); four of Copepoda; and one Pentastomida (larvae). At the component community level, species richness ranged from 9 in O. saurus to 19 in O. altus. Different species of helminth dominated the component communities of each species of host. Community composition and species richness of parasites differed among the three species of host, locations, and sampling years. Host feeding behavior, body size, and vagility had the most influence on these differences.