Austrodiplostomum compactum (Lutz, 1928) (Digenea, Diplostomidae) in the eyes of fishes from Paraná river, Brazil

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Parasitological indexes of Austrodiplostomum compactum (Digenea, Diplostomidae) in fishes from the Paraná River, Presidente Epitácio region, state of São Paulo, Brazil, and their relationship with climate and water quality are evaluated. Fifty-one specimens of Plagioscion squamosissimus, 39 Geophagus surinamensis, 27 Hoplias malabaricus and 23 Cichla sp. were collected between June 2007 and June 2008. Water quality and rainfall indexes were measured monthly. P. squamosissimus had the highest parasite rate, with 98% total prevalence, intensity of infection varying between 1 and 255 and parasite mean abundance totaling 40.5 ± 9.9. H. malabaricus had the next parasite rate, with 66.6% total prevalence, parasite intensity between 2 and 184 and mean abundance totaling 22.4 ± 20.9. Cichla sp. had a total prevalence of 52.1%, intensity between 1 and 21, and mean abundance 4.3 ± 2.9. Finally, G. surinamensis had a total prevalence of 46.1%, intensity between 1 and 53 and mean abundance 7.1 ± 8.8. A survey of diplostomid infection in Brazil and the role of piscivore fish as an important host have also been discussed.

New host records and a checklist of fishes infected with Austrodiplostomum compactum (Digenea: Diplostomidae) in Brazil

“…Studies of the infection of A. compactum in P. squamosissimus showed a prevalence greater than 90% and a mean intensity of infection greater than 20 (KOHN et al, 1995;SANTOS et al, 2002SANTOS et al, , 2012MACHADO et al, 2005;PAES et al, 2010a, b), whereas in the current study, the prevalence was 66.6% and the mean intensity of infection was 13.1±6.1. According to Karvonen et al (2006), the infection dynamics of D. spathaceum in fish is related to the snail population variance.…”

“…According to Karvonen et al (2006), the infection dynamics of D. spathaceum in fish is related to the snail population variance. Voutilainen et al (2009) Martins et al (2002) and Santos et al (2002Santos et al ( , 2012 suggested that high infection rates of A. compactum are dependent on high temperatures. According to Berrie (1960), Diplostomum cercariae emerge in waters only at temperatures greater than 10 °C.…”

Metazoan parasites of Geophagus brasiliensis (Perciformes: Cichlidae) in Patos lagoon, extreme south of Brazil

“…Moreover, the same authors showed that significant variation in the diet occurs, according to the host's maturity stage. Other facts may have favored transmission, such as strategies of releasing cercariae close to the intermediate host and the lentic condition of the environment (SANTOS et al, 2012). Regarding the infection site of A. compactum in the host, this has been recorded on the surface of the swim bladder (CARVALHO et al, 2012).…”

“…Metacercariae of A. compactum presented the highest prevalence (34.2%) among the parasites reported. Santos et al (2012) analyzed Geophagus surinamensis (Bloch, 1791) and observed higher prevalence (46.1%), which was associated with water temperatures that ranged from 21.4 to 29°C. Previous studies also suggested that the biology of this parasite depends on high temperatures (MARTINS et al, 2002;HAKALAHTI et al, 2006).…”

Digenea of Hoplias intermedius and Hoplias malabaricus (Actinopterygii, Erythrinidae) from upper São Francisco River, Brazil

“…varied among Siluriform fish (omnivorous adult representatives of Pimelodidae) from São Francisco River, and their rates were occasionally lower than that of adult digenean species in the parasite communities (P. maculatus: P=20.5%, lower than that of Plehniella coelomica Szidat, 1951(= Sanguinicola coelomica (Szidat, 1951 RAMOS et al, 2013). In some studies, those metacercariae showed a higher prevalence rate than the trahiras from the upper São Francisco River (P=60.7% in the Paraná River (SANTOS et al, 2012), and P=57.1% in the mid-Doce River, State of Minas Gerais (BELEI et al, 2013). For the perciforms, the prevalence of metacercariae has been high in some studies, and it was higher than that for cichlids (P=59.8% in C. kelberi) from the São Francisco River (SANTOS-CLAPP & BRASIL-SATO, 2014), (P=65.0% in C. kelberi (=Cichla monoculus) from the Paraná River (MACHADO et al, 2005), P=92.7% and P=58.6% in Geophagus proximus (Castelnau, 1855) from the Tietê River and from the Ilha Solteira Reservoir, both in the State of São Paulo (ZICA et al, 2010;ZAGO et al, 2013), respectively, and P=71.9% and P=60.0% in Satonoperca pappaterra (Haeckel, 1840) from the Paraná and Tietê Rivers (MACHADO et al, 2005;PAES et al, 2010a), respectively).…”