Mugil Curema Research Articles

Community of metazoan parasites in a commercial fish Mugil curema Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1836 in Tuxpan, Veracruz México.

The purpose of this study was to identify the component of the community of metazoan parasites in Mugil curema representative for its commercial value for the zone of Túxpan, Veracruz, Mexico. The analysis was carried out in the collection of 131 individuals between April 2022 and May 2023, of which 59.54% were females and 40.45% were males and with a sex ratio of 0.679:1. The most significant stage was the immature stage for the drought/season with 6 parasitized hosts, for the cold wind season 15 fish infected with some type of parasite and for the rainy season 9 infected. The average total length (TL) for males was of 31. 65 ± 8.08 cm, and the average weight of 315.86 ± 202.81 g and for females the LT was of 34.32 ± 6.56 cm and the weight of 373.20 ± 213.93 g. A richness of 6 parasite species was recorded, of which 4 were ectoparasites (Dicrogaster sp., Caligus sp., Ergasilus sp. and Benedenia sp.) and 2 endoparasites (Floridosentis mugilis and Contracaecum sp.).

Morphology, DNA barcoding and seasonal occurrence of Ergasilus lizae Krøyer, 1863 (Copepoda: Ergasilidae) parasitizing mullets from northwestern Mexico

Ergasilus lizae Krøyer, 1863 is a parasitic copepod known to infect mullets (Mugilidae) in different parts of the world. It was originally reported from the east coast of North America, but the original description lacks enough detail, making identification with this information difficult. In this study, we provide a redescription of E. lizae found on Mugil curema Valenciennes and M. cephalus Linnaeus, caught in two coastal lagoons of northwestern Mexico during two climatic seasons: warm/rainy and cold/dry. The prevalence of this parasite was higher in the warm season than in the cold season. To facilitate the species identification, new sequences of the barcoding gene (COI mtDNA) of E. lizae were generated and compared against unpublished sequences of E. lizae available in the Barcode of Life Database (BOLD). Our results suggest that the sequences of BOLD possibly belong to a species misidentified as E. lizae.

Congeneric and sympatric tropical mullets respond differently to environmental variability: insights into coexistence

Context Disentangling mechanisms influencing the seasonal and spatial distribution of fish is essential to understanding population dynamics. In the south-western Atlantic, the sympatric mullets Mugil curema and M. rubrioculus are closely related and use habitat similarly. However, which processes allow their coexistence is unknown. Aims We tested the hypothesis that the two species exhibit temporally and spatially decoupled habitat-use patterns to allow sympatry due to different responses to environmental drivers. Methods Bayesian zero-inflated count models were used to unravel spatial and temporal distribution patterns of those species in a south-western Atlantic lagoon. Key results The two species display different distributions within the estuary, being spatially and temporally segregated, with M. curema mostly inhabiting the inner estuary and M. rubrioculus inhabiting coastal marine habitats. Conclusions This decoupling in habitat use might be driven by distinct responses to environmental variability: M. curema is influenced by factors such as temperature and dissolved oxygen, whereas M. rubrioculus is influenced by variations in salinity. We suggest that the studied species evolved divergent responses to environmental variation to allow coexistence. Implications This study suggests that environmental factors drive mullet abundance, and that zero-inflated count models incorporating those drivers are therefore useful in predicting their spatial and temporal distribution, as well as in standardising abundance trends for stock assessment efforts.

Behavior of diclofenac from contaminated fish after cooking and in vitro digestion.

Seafood consumers are widely exposed to diclofenac due to the high contamination levels often present in aquatic organisms. It is a potential risk to public health due its endocrine disruptor properties. Limited information is available about diclofenac behavior after food digestion to enable a more realistic scenario of consumer exposure. This study aimed to evaluate cooking effects on diclofenac levels, and determine diclofenac bioaccessibility by an in vitro digestion assay, using commercial fish species (seabass and white mullet) as models. The production of the main metabolite 4'-hydroxydiclofenac was also investigated. Fish hamburgers were spiked at two levels (150 and 1000 ng g-1) and submitted to three culinary treatments (roasting, steaming and grilling). The loss of water seems to increase the diclofenac levels after cooking, except in seabass with higher levels. The high bioaccessibility of diclofenac (59.1-98.3%) observed in both fish species indicates that consumers' intestines are more susceptible to absorption, which can be worrisome depending on the level of contamination. Contamination levels did not affect the diclofenac bioaccessibility in both species. Seabass, the fattest species, exhibited a higher bioaccessibility of diclofenac compared to white mullet. Overall, cooking decreased diclofenac bioaccessibility by up to 40% in seabass and 25% in white mullet. The main metabolite 4'-hydroxydiclofenac was not detected after cooking or digestion. Thus, consumption of cooked fish, preferentially grilled seabass and steamed or baked white mullet are more advisable. This study highlights the importance to consider bioaccessibility and cooking in hazard characterization studies. © 2024 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Mercury (Hg) concentration in fish commercialized in the São Luís fish market (MA) and potential exposure of consumers.

Fish consumption is the main path of human exposure to Hg and may represent a risk to public health, even with low Hg concentrations in fish, if consumption rates are high. This study quantifies, for the first time, the Hg concentrations in nine most commercialized species in the São Luís (MA) fish market, where fish consumption is high, and estimates human exposure. Average Hg concentrations were highest in carnivorous species, yellow hake (Cynoscion acoupa) (0.296 mg kg-1), the Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) (0.263 mg kg-1), whereas lowest concentrations were recorded in iliophagous Mullets (Mugil curema) (0.021 mg kg-1) and the Shorthead drum Larimus breviceps (0.025 mg kg-1). Significant correlations were observed between Hg concentrations and fish length in two species: the Coco-Sea catfish (Bagre bagre) and the Atlantic bumper (Chloroscombrus crysurus), but not in the other species, since they presented relatively uniform size of individuals and/or a small number of samples. Risk coefficients, despite the relatively low Hg concentrations, suggest that consumers should limit their consumption of Yellow hake and Atlantic croaker, as they can present some risk to human health (EDI > RfD and THQ > 1), depending on the frequency of their consumption and the consumer's body weight.

Description and pathology of a new genus and species of fish blood fluke (Digenea: Aporocotylidae Odhner, 1912) infecting white mullet, Mugil curema Valenciennes, 1836 (Mugiliformes: Mugilidae) in Mobile Bay (northern Gulf of Mexico) with a phylogenetic analysis.

Three fish blood flukes (Aporocotylidae Odhner, 1912) infect mullets (Mugiliformes: Mugilidae): Cardicola mugilis Yamaguti, 1970 and Plethorchis acanthus Martin, 1975 infect striped mullet, Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758 in the Central Pacific Ocean (Hawaiian Islands) and Brisbane River (Australia), respectively; Cardicola brasiliensis Knoff & Amato, 1992 infects Lebranche mullet, Mugil liza Valenciennes, 1836 from the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean (Brazil). White mullets were cast-netted from the mouth of Deer River, a coastal saltmarsh of Mobile Bay, in the north-central Gulf of Mexico and examined for blood fluke infections. Specimens of Mugilitrema labowskiae Warren & Bullard n. gen., n. sp. were found infecting the endocardial surface and inter-trabecular spaces of the atrium, ventricle, and bulbous arteriosus. The new genus and species differ from all other aporocotylids by having the combination of two post-caecal testes, a uterus with straight ascending and descending portions, and a common genital pore. The 28S analysis recovered the new species and P.acanthus as sister taxa and Aporocotylidae as monophyletic. Carditis associated with intense infections comprised endocardial hyperplasia, resulting in a thickened cardiac endothelium. Probable dead or deteriorating eggs in the myocardium were encapsulated by granulomas composed of epithelioid histiocytes. Live eggs infected the afferent artery of gill filaments and were associated with varied hyperplasia of the overlying epithelium and haemorrhaging from the afferent artery in high-intensity infections. The new species is the first aporocotylid infecting a mullet from the northwestern Atlantic Ocean and only the second description of demonstrable endocarditis attributed to an adult fish blood fluke infection.

Trace metal accumulation is infrapopulation-dependent in acanthocephalans parasites of the white mullet (Mugil curema) from an estuarine environment of southeastern Brazil coast

Here, in an estuarine canal in southeast Brazil, we evaluated the potential for trace metal accumulation of the acanthocephalan parasite Floridosentis mugilis, which infects the fish host Mugil curema. The quantities of the trace metals were quantified using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), which was used to analyze samples of the fish's muscle, intestine, and liver as well as the parasites. The parasites and the host's tissues had significantly different trace metal concentrations, according to our data. Furthermore, some metals have quite high bioconcentration factors, including Al, Cr, Ni, and Cd. We also found that the trace metal concentrations in the parasites were impacted by the sizes of the parasitic infrapopulations, with smaller infrapopulations tending to accumulate more metals. This study shows this acanthocephalan species' effective ability to store metals and is the first to investigate metal accumulation using it as a model.

Complex interactions of ENSO and local conditions buffer the poleward shift of migratory fish in a subtropical seascape

Ocean warming is associated with the tropicalization of fish towards higher latitudes. However, the influence of global climatic phenomena like the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and its warm (El Niño) and cold (La Niña) phases on tropicalization has been overlooked. Understanding the combined effects of global climatic forces together with local variability on the distribution and abundance of tropical fish is essential for building more accurate predictive models of species on the move. This is particularly important in regions where ENSO-related impacts are known to be major drivers of ecosystem change, and is compounded by predictions that El Niño is becoming more frequent and intense under current ocean warming. In this study, we used long-term time series of monthly standardized sampling (August 1996 to February 2020) to investigate how ocean warming, ENSO and local environmental variability influence the abundance of an estuarine dependent tropical fish species (white mullet Mugil curema) at subtropical latitudes in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Our work revealed a significant increasing trend in surface water temperature in shallow waters (<1.5 m) at estuarine and marine sites. However, against our initial expectation, we did not observe an increasing trend in the abundance of this tropical mullet species. Generalized Additive Models revealed complex, non-linear relationships between species abundance and environmental factors operating at large (ENSO's warm and cold phases), regional (freshwater discharge in the coastal lagoon's drainage basin) and local (temperature and salinity) scales across the estuarine marine gradient. These results demonstrate that fish responses to global climate change can be complex and multifaceted. More specifically, our findings suggested that the interaction among global and local driving forces dampen the expected effect of tropicalization for this mullet species in a subtropical seascape.

Effects of dietary protein-energy ratio on the growth and body composition of the white mullet Mugil curema (Valenciennes, 1836) (Pisces: Mugilidae).

Effects of dietary protein-energy ratio on the growth and body composition of the white mullet Mugil curema (Valenciennes, 1836) (Pisces: Mugilidae).

On the validity and distribution of Myxobolus curemae Vieira, Agostinho, Negrelli, Silva, Azevedo and Abdallah, 2022 (Myxozoa: Bivalvulida) from a new record on the coast of southeastern Brazil

Myxobolus spp. are parasites of wide diversity and distribution in fish, both in the natural environment and in freshwater or marine farming systems around the world and are sometimes associated with severe disease in their hosts (Schmahl et al. 1989; Lom and Dyková, 1995; Eiras et al. 2021). The white mullet Mugil curema Valenciennes, 1836 is a pelagic fish of the Mugilidae family widely distributed in the Atlantic Ocean (Froese & Pauly 2022). Recently, Myxobolus curemae Vieira, Agostinho, Negrelli, Silva, Azevedo and Abdallah, 2022 was described from white mullets Mugil curema Valenciennes, 1836 in Brazil (Vieira et al. 2022). In the current work, Myxobolus sp. was identified with the same biological and morphological characteristic features of M. curemae from white mullets from the Jacarepaguá Lagoon Complex in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in addition to being 100% identical for a genic region of the nuclear small subunit ribosomal DNA. However, this Myxobolus sp. was also similar to Myxobolus hani Faye, Kpatcha, Diebakate, Fall and Toguebaye, 1999, which was described from white mullets in Senegal, Africa, without molecular identification (Faye et al. 1999). Therefore, this current work makes observations on these Myxobolus spp. which are morphologically and biologically similar, and that could establish M. curemae as a junior synonymy of M. hani.

Monorchiids (Digenea, Trematoda) of fishes in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, with the description of three new species based on morphological and molecular data

Adult specimens of monorchiids (Digenea) were collected from the intestines of the white grunt, Haemulon plumierii Lacepède (Haemulidae), and the white mullet, Mugil curema Valenciennes (Mugilidae) from five localities off the Yucatán Peninsula and one locality in the Gulf of Mexico. Some specimens were photographed and sequenced for two molecular markers, the large subunit (LSU) of nuclear rDNA and the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) of mitochondrial DNA. Other specimens were processed for morphological analyses. Newly generated sequences were aligned with other sequences available in GenBank. Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analyses were implemented using the data sets of LSU and cox1 independently. Reciprocal monophyly evidenced through phylogenetic analyses, sequence divergence values for both molecular markers, and detailed morphological analyses, including scanning electron microscopy photomicrographs, revealed three new genetic lineages, i.e., species, as parasites of M. curema. The three new species are Sinistroporomonorchis mexicanus n. sp., Sinistroporomonorchis yucatanensis n. sp., and Sinistroporomonorchis minutus n. sp. Two additional species of monorchiids were sampled, characterised molecularly, and re-described, namely Sinistroporomonorchis glebulentus (Overstreet, 1971) from the white mullet, and Alloinfundiburictus haemuli (Overstreet, 1969), from the white grunt.

Scaphanocephalus spp. (Trematoda: Opisthorchiidae) in intermediate and definitive hosts of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, with a re-description of Scaphanocephalus expansus

Summary Scaphanocephalus is a small trematode genus belonging to the family Opistorchiidae. The genus currently contains only three species associated with marine fish as intermediate hosts and fish-eating birds as definitive hosts. Here, specimens of Scaphanocephalus were collected from the Osprey, Pandion haliaetus, and the White mullet, Mugil curema in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. We report for the first-time DNA sequences of adult specimens of Scaphanocephalus, particularly S. expansus, as well as a sequence of a different species sampled as metacercaria. Morphological comparisons of Scaphanocephalus expansus confirmed the identity of the adult specimens, with minor morphological variations; Scanning electron photomicrographs were included, and the species was re-described. Phylogenetic analysis based on 28S rDNA sequences showed that Scaphanocephalus is monophyletic within Opisthorchiidae and consists of three independent lineages. Sequences of adults are identical to those of S. expansus. Instead, the sequence of the metacercaria sampled from the mesentery of Mugil curema nested with specimens reported as Scaphanocephalus sp. from a labrid fish in the Mediterranean Sea, herein named it as Scaphanocephalus sp. 2.

Ocorrência de intersexualidade em Mugil curema em estuário do litoral norte catarinense, Brasil - relato de caso

ABSTRACT This study describes the occurrence of reproductive changes in a mullet (Mugil curema) from the Babibtonga Bay, Santa Catarina. Gross and microscopic findings indicated changes in the reproductive system that were characterized by the presence of both male and female gonads, nearing sexual maturity, which was compatible with the diagnosis of intersex. It was not possible to identify predisposing factors that may have contributed to the development of this condition. However, as this species of fish may have their reproductive development affected by anthropogenic influence, it is important to permanently monitor this kind of environment. Considering the number of fish belonging to this species that was examined (n=433), the estimated prevalence for intersexuality was 0.23% (confidence interval: 0.00 to 0.68%, with confidence level of 95%). The findings in this study support the diagnosis of intersexuality in M. curema from the Babitonga Bay, which is the first documented case of this condition in this species on the coast of Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Assessing interspecific variation in life-history traits of three sympatric tropical mullets using age, growth and otolith allometry

Life history theory predicts that organisms optimize their life-history traits according to evolutionary context and environmental constraints. Sympatric estuarine-dependent fish are intriguing subjects for studying life-history variation, as their traits are molded by their complex habitat use and co-occurrence with ecologically similar species. In this study, we investigated life-history traits of three tropical mullet species (Mugil curema, M. liza and M. rubrioculus) using age, growth, and otolith allometry. Our results indicate that otolith allometric patterns are useful predictors of specific life history traits: the faster-growing species M. rubrioculus (K = 0.31) was characterized by earlier stanza changing points (SCPs), with 0.8 years of life. In contrast, the slower-growing species, M. liza (K = 0.21) was characterized by later changing points, 1.3 years of life. M. curema is intermediate (K = 0.25), with 0.95 years of life. The first SCP may register juvenile movements between estuarine and coastal habitats before the first year of life, and the second SCPs appear to reflect the migration to the sea and age at maturation. More generally, our study species exhibit fine-scale temporal differences in life cycle events that may be related to growth rates and body size that can be predicted by otolith allometry, as well as a gradient of interspecific divergences in life-history traits. These are likely to be driven by differences in their migratory behavior and habitat use that permit coexistence.

Length-Weight Relationship and the Condition Factor of some Important Estuarine Fish Species from Kakum Estuary of Ghana

This study assessed the length-weight relationships and the condition factors of nine commercial and abundant fish species namely Liza dumerilli, Mugil curema, Liza falcipinnis, Mugil bananensis, Lutjanus goreensis, Lutjanus fulgens, Sardinella aurita, Caranx hippos, and Eucinostomus melanopterus from the Kakum River Estuary. This study was conducted from November 2016 to April 2017 to provide primary information about the biometrics, the length-weight model parameters, and the state of well-being of fish species inhabiting the Kakum Estuary. Sampling was done monthly using a mini boat of 9 m long with a depth of 1.5 m for both diurnal (06:00, 10:00, 14:00, 18:00, 06:00 h) and nocturnal (22:00, 02:00 h) periods with a medium-mesh cast net of 20 mm stretched. Sampling was done within thirty (30) minutes on all sampling times. The total length of the species from the estuary ranged from 2.2 cm in Liza dumerilli to 29.8 cm in Mugil curema while the total weight ranged from 0.2 g to 251 g in Mugil curema. The slope b values of the species varied from 2.3787 for Liza dumerilli to 3.1009 for Eucinostomus melanopterus. Three species from the Kakum Estuary exhibited negative allometric growth and 6 species were growing isometrically. The mean condition factors of the fish species ranged from 0.82 ± 0.36 (SD) in Sardinella aurita to 1.82 ± 0.23 (SD) in Lutjanus goreensis. The results of the present study provide essential input parameters for further assessment of the species standing stock biomass.

Agrochemical Residues in Fish and Bivalves from Sepetiba Bay and Parnaiba River Delta, Brazil.

Accumulation of pesticides has a harmful impact on the environment and human health. The main goal of this work was to develop a method to determine and quantify the residues of thirteen pesticides in edible fish and bivalves such as parati (Mugil curema), seabass (Centropomus ssp.), mullet (Mugil brasiliensis), clams (Anomalocardia brasiliana) and mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) collected from Sepetiba Bay and Parnaiba River Delta (Brazil) between 2019 and 2020. Matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) was used for extraction and quantification through gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The method was validated (linearity, accuracy and precision) for fatty fish (Salmo salar), lean fish (Mugil curema) and bivalves (Mytilus edulis). The survey found linear correlation coefficients (r) equal to or greater than 0.9 for almost all analytes. The relative standard deviations (RSD) of five replicates were less than 20% for almost all analytes at different concentrations in lean fish, fatty fish and bivalves. Most analytes showed satisfactory accuracy. Alachlor herbicide was found in samples of seabass, mussels, clams and parati with levels ranging between 0.55 to 420.39 μg kg-1 dw. Ethion was found in parati (maximum 211.22 μg kg-1 dw), mussels (15.1 μg kg-1 dw) and clams (maximum 44.50 μg kg-1 dw). Alachlor was found in clams (maximum 93.1 μg kg-1 dw), and bifenthrin was found in parati (maximum 43.4 μg kg-1 dw) and clams (maximum 42.21 μg kg-1 dw). The validated method was satisfactory for the determination of eleven pesticides in the fatty fish matrix, and thirteen pesticides in the samples of lean fish and bivalves. The presence of alachlor, ethion and bifenthrin stands out.

Parasitic fauna of Mugil curema in a estuarine ecosystem in the northern coast of the Santa Catarina State, Brazil

Mugilids hold a characteristic parasitic fauna that varies according to the environment they live in. Epidemiological studies of this fauna are important for prophylaxis and treatment of zoonotic diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the parasitic fauna of Mugil curema for 2 years, from November 2015 to October 2017, in estuarine waters of the Northshore of Santa Catarina. A total of 282 specimens were captured with a gillnet in the Parati River, Araquari, SC, Brazil. The fish were necropsied, and its parasitic fauna studied. Tha parasite prevalence rate was 96.81% (273/282), being 97.30% (72/74) females, 94.55% (52/55) males and 97.39% (149/153) nonidentified gender. The prevalence of Neoechinorhynchus curemai was 43.97% (124/282), Ergasilus lizae 77.66% (219/282), Lernaeenicus longiventris 73.05% (206/282), Ascocotyle (Phagicola) longa in the liver 24.04% (96/282) and in the muscle 36.88% (104/282), and Haloporidae was found in 26.13% (29/111). The Parati River has peculiar characteristics on its dynamics, which interferes in the parasitological rates of the fish living there, a relation that still needs better investigation.

Evidence of flow and low genetic structure between populations of the Gulf of Mexico and the Mexican Pacific of white mullet, Mugil curema (Pisces) inferred from single nucleotide polymorphisms

Population genomics methodologies offer new tools for fine structure identification and contemporary connectivity, providing valuable information for the conservation and management of fish populations. NextRAD sequencing was used for obtaining single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) throughout the Mugil curema genome, a species of fish of great ecological and commercial importance, with a wide genetic dissimilarity between its populations throughout its distribution. The population structure, connectivity, and genomic diversity of 95 individuals from three locations in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) and six in the Mexican Pacific (MP) were evaluated with a set of 14, 172 SNPs. The spatial analyses identified three genetic groups with incipient divergence (FST= 0.1–0.513), low nucleotide diversity (π = 0.019–0.200), and moderate gene flow among populations (2.4–12.8 %). The first group included two localities of the GoM (Madre and Alvarado lagoons) connected with two of the MP (Huave System (HU) and Puerto Escondido (PE)), which presented a moderate exchange of genotypes of 10.5–11.1 % between both slopes, which could be due to the connection between sub-basins or tributaries of the Gulf of Tehuantepec region; the second connected the six localities of the MP; and the third only to individuals from Celestun (CE), a population that could be under a recent divergence process, due to the accumulation of their ecological, environmental and genetic differences. The results reflect a low contemporaneous population genomic structure and connectivity of Mugil curema in the GoM and MP, in addition, they do not support the mitochondrial hypotheses of the cryptic species Mugil curema “T2″ from the Atlantic and Mugil sp. "O" of the Pacific.

Reproduction of five mullet fish (Mugilidae) in Grand-Lahou Lagoon, Côte d’Ivoire: Size at first sexual maturity, reproduction period and sex ratio

This work provides information on Mugilidae fish reproduction in Grand-Lahou lagoon. From September 2009 to August 2011, for each specimen sampled, the total length in cm, the total mass and the eviscerated mass in g, the gonads mass in cg, the sex and the gonads maturity stages were recorded. Parameters studied were size at first sexual maturity, reproduction period and sex ratio. The sexual maturity is reached between 16.1 cm and 21.0 cm in four of the five species studied and at 41.6 cm in Mugil cephalus females. Liza dumerili and Mugil curema reproduce from September to November, Liza falcipinnis from July to October, Mugil bananensis from March to June and Mugil cephalus from August. These species reproduce in lagoon, except Mugil cephalus. During breeding season, the sex ratio is in favour of females in Mugil curema and Mugil bananensis. In Liza dumerili and Liza falcipinnis, sexes are rather balanced.

Parasite identification in mullet fish (Mugil curema) from Chautengo Lagoon, Guerrero, Mexico, based on morphology and molecular analysis

Parasite identification is crucial in areas where no sanitary inspection is conducted on fish, especially considering that parasitic zoonoses like anisakiasis and gnathostomiasis can pose a risk for human health. In this study, parasites in mullet fish (Mugil curema) from the Chautengo Lagoon, Guerrero, Mexico, were identified by morphological and molecular methods. A total of 122 specimens weighing 317 ± 51.25 g and 19.3 ± 1.14 cm in length were assessed. Their helminthofauna was classified by measuring internal structures, total length, and maximum width; a morphometric index was also calculated for larval stages. The prevalence of parasitosis in these mullets was 91.8%, with a mean infection intensity of 4.1. The acanthocephalan Floridosentis mugilis was identified by its external and internal structures. The nematodes found were of the Anisakidae family in stage 3 (L3), with a morphology consistent with Contracaecum sp. To determine the species, the ITS ribosomal gene and the mitochondrial genes COX2 and rrnS were molecularly characterized by PCR; then, they were aligned by CLUSTAL W, and a phylogenetic tree was obtained. In this analysis, the sequences were compared with those reported in GenBank. A total of 460 parasites were studied, 283 of which were nematodes (61.5%) and 177 were acanthocephalans (38.5%). The sequences of seven nematodes showed 99% homology with each other, and thus they formed an independent branch within the Contracaecum sp. group. This is the first report identifying Contracaecum multipapillatum in mullet fish in the Chautengo Lagoon, Guerrero.