Effect of Locality, Host Species and Sex on the Metazoan Parasitic Infestation of Two, Species of <i>Scarus</i> Fish from the Red Sea Coast at Jeddah and Rabigh in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

A total number of 60 specimens of two different species of Scarus fish caught from the Red Sea coast at Jeddah (30) and Rabigh (30) cities in Saudi Arabia were examined to determine their metazoan parasitic fauna, their prevalences, and mean intensities. Collected parasites were identified as, Isopoda (praniza larva of Gnathia sp.), Copepoda (Hatschekia sp.) Monogenea (Diplectanum sp.) and Digenea (Lecithoclaster and Bucephalus spp). Out of 30 specimens of fish caught from Jeddah coast 13 (43.4%) were infested by 90 parasites comprising of two parasite species, praniza larva and Hatschekia sp., with prevalence of infestation 40% and 3.33%, and mean intensity 7 and 6 parasites per fish respectively. 19 (63.3%) of Scarus fish caught from Rabigh coast were infested by 205 parasites representing 4 parasite spp. Diplectanum sp. represents the most commonly encountered parasite with prevalence (53.3%) and mean intensity (10.94%), followed by (Lecithoclaster sp. then praniza larva, prevalances (16.66% and 13.3%) and mean inentisities (3.4. and 1.75) respectively. Bucephalus sp. showed the minor, prevalence (3.33%) and mean intensity (6). Generally Scarus fish species from Rabigh had higher prevalence and mean intensity (63.3% and 7.59%) than Scarus fish species from Jeddah (43.4% and 6.92%). Female fish from Jeddah showed no parasitic infestation, while males were infested (prevalence 65% and mean intensity 6.92). Female fish from Rabigh had higher prevalence (84.21) and lower intensity (6.43) than males which showed prevalence (27.27%) and intensity (19). Relationship between parasitic infestation and fish species and sex were also studied in the two different localities and discussed.

​Identification of Gnathiid Isopods as Ectoparasites of the Brown-spotted Grouper Epinephelus chlorostigma from the Red Sea of Saudi Arabia

“…Smit and Basson (2002) reported the main diagnostic criteria for differentiation of praniza larvae to include the body length, pleotelson shape and the number of mandibular teeth. There are few reports of gnathiids on marine fish in Saudi Arabia (Bayoumy and Abu-Taweel 2012;Bayoumy et al 2013;Bakhraibah 2018). Therefore, this study is focused on providing a detailed larval description.…”

Morphological and genetic identification of the gill monogenean parasite (Diclidophora merlangi) that infects Twobar Seabream Fish (Acanthopagrus bifasciatus) in the Arabian Gulf, Saudi Arabia

“…Some studies have been conducted on monogenean parasites infecting marine fish species in Saudi Arabia to date ( Bayoumy et al ., 2012 ; Mohamed et al ., 2015 ; Bakhraibah, 2018 ; Dajem et al ., 2019 ; Al-Nabati et al ., 2021 ; Morsy et al ., 2021 ; Abdel-Gaber et al ., 2023 , Alshehri et al ., 2023 ; Alghamdi et al ., 2022 ). The purpose of this study to investigate the natural occurrence of monogenean parasites in twobar seabream ( Acanthopagrus bifasciatus ) from the Arabian Gulf (Saudi Arabia), as well as to describe their morphology and phylogenetic relationships.…”