Endoparasite infracommunities of Hemisorubim platyrhynchos (Valenciennes, 1840) (Pisces: Pimelodidae) of the Baía River, upper Paraná River floodplain, Brazil: specific composition and ecological aspects

Abstract

Parasites of 136 specimens of Hemisorubim platyrhynchos, popularly called jurupoca, were analyzed. Fourteen parasite species were recorded: four digeneans (Crocodilicola pseudostoma, one Gorgoderidae species, Sanguinicola platyrhynchi, and Sphincterodiplostomum sp.); three cestodes (Goezeella paranaensis, Spatulifer maringaensis, and Mariauxiella piscatorum); five nematodes (Contracaecum Type 1 larvae of Moravec, Kohn, & Fernandes, 1993; Contracaecum Type 2 larvae of Moravec, Kohn, & Fernandes, 1993; Cucullanus (Cucullanus) zungaro; Eustrongylides ignotus; and Goezia sp.); one acanthocephalan (Quadrigyrus machadoi), and one pentastomid (Sebekia sp.). Most of the helminth specimens were found in larval stages, confirming that H. platyrhynchos is a significant source of their transmission. No dominance was reported. With the exception of Contracaecum Type 2 (featuring random dispersion), the species had a clumped pattern of dispersion in the host sample. Evidence of competition among parasite species was not reported. Several species of parasites were correlated with host size and sex. This fact may be explained by increase in food content and possible behavioral modifications of male and female hosts. Infracommunity diversity was not related to host size or sex.

Parasite Community of Cichla kelberi (Perciformes, Cichlidae) in the Três Marias Reservoir, Minas Gerais, Brazil

“…Lacerda et al (2013b) accepted this hypothesis when they verified that both species of proteocephalids present in C. piquiti Kullander & Ferreira, 2006, from the original environment (Lajeado Reservoir and São Salvador, Tocantins River) continued to parasitize those hosts that were introduced in new places (Jupiá and Itaipu Reservoirs, Paraná River). All of the parasite species that were analyzed showed a typical pattern of aggregated or superdispersed distribution, which are common patterns in studies on parasites of freshwater fish (MACHADO et al, 2000;GUIDELLI et al, 2003;SANTOS;BRASIL-SATO, 2006). …”

“…Significant positive associations were observed in pairs of species of adult endoparasites (P. macrophallus and P. microscopicus), with a positive correlation noted between their abundances; this may indicate that such associated species have the same ecological requirements and that there are probably frequent and common intermediate hosts for the associated species (GUIDELLI et al, 2003). The relationship observed between both generalist species of the larval endoparasites, Hysterothylacium sp.…”

“…This may explain why there is a low prevalence of adult and larval nematode species, with the exception of the Hysterothylacium sp., whose presence appeared to be accidental. These species should have low transmission rates and less potential to colonize C. kelberi, which may have occurred due to the lower availability of the intermediate hosts in the case of endoparasites, or it may be due to the higher pathogenicity of these parasites, which would cause a more efficient immune response in the hosts (GUIDELLI et al, 2003). It is likely that these nematode larvae use various species of fish to ensure successful parasite transmission.…”

Metazoan parasite communities of Leporinus macrocephalus (Characiformes: Anostomidae) in cultivation systems in the western Amazon, Brazil

“…had not been already described as parasitizing other members of the Anostomidae (Kritsky et al 1980;Kritsky et al 1986;Guidelli et al 2003;Schalch and Moraes 2005;Guidelli et al 2006;Takemoto et al 2009;Takemoto and Lizama 2010;Abdallah et al 2012). Some ectoparasite species that presented higher prevalence and abundance may have specificity to members of Anostomidae, such as U. paradoxus and T. parvus (Cohen et al 2013).…”

Metazoan parasite fauna of two peacock-bass cichlid fish in Brazil

“…The original description was based on the morphology of immature specimens collected from the intestine of Agamia agami (Gmelin, 1789) (Ardeidae), in Mato Grosso, Brazil. There are records of this parasite in fish organs such as: eyes of Cyphocharax gilbert Quoy and Gaimard, 1824 from the Guandu River (Abdallah et al 2005) and Hoplias malabaricus Bloch, 1794 from the Upper Paraná River floodplain ); in the ovary of Steindachinerina brevipinna Eigenmann and Eigenmann, 1889 from the Paranapanema River (Ceschini et al 2010); and the visceral cavity of Hemisorubim platyrhynchos (Valenciennes, 1840) from the Upper Paraná River floodplain (Guidelli et al 2003). The current study recorded Sphincterodiplostomum sp.…”