Survey of the metazoan ectoparasites of the European flounder Platichthys flesus (Linnaeus, 1758) along the north-central Portuguese coast

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2007

Authors

Francisca I Cavaleiro (Author) Other; Maria J Santos (Author) FCUP

Journal

Title: Journal of Parasitology

Vol. 93 No. 6

Pages: 1218-1222

ISSN: 0022-3395

Publisher: American Society of Parasitology

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 9 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 8 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Health sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-004-784

DOI: 10.1645/ge-1071r1.1

Abstract (EN): A survey was undertaken to identify rnetazoan ectoparasite species on the European flounder, Platichthys flexus (Linnaeus, 1758), in 4 different locations off the north-central Portuguese coast. Parasites of 7 different taxa were found: Caligus diaphanus, Caligus sp.. and Lepeophtheirus pectoralis (Copepoda: Caligidae); Acanthochondria cornuta (Copepoda: Chondracanthidae) Holobomolochus confusus (Copepoda: Bomolochidae): Nerocila orbignyi (Isopoda: Cymothoidae): and praniza larvae (Isopoda: Gnathiidae). Lernaeocera branchialis, a common European flounder parasite in the North and Baltic Seas, was not observed among the surveyed fish. Caligus diaphanus, Caligus sp., and Nerocila orbignyi are new host records. The high prevalence and intensity values recorded for L. pectoralis and A. cornuta suggest that both parasite species are common to the European flounder along the north-central Portuguese coast. In contrast, infection levels with respect to the other parasite taxa were, in most cases, comparatively lower, thereby indicating that they only occur occasionally among flounders in the surveyed area.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 5