Metazoan parasite community of a European eel (Anguilla anguilla) population from an estuary in Portugal

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2008

Authors

Hermida, M (Author) Other; Saraiva, A (Author) FCUP; Cruz, C (Author) FCUP

Journal

Title: Bulletin of the European Association of Fish Pathologists

Vol. 28

Pages: 35-40

ISSN: 0108-0288

Publisher: FRS Marine Lab.

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 12 Citations

Scopus - 12 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Agrarian Sciences > Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-004-2QE

Abstract (EN): Over an 11-month period, the gills, digestive tract, and swimbladder of eels from the Ria de Aveiro were examined for the presence of parasites. Fifteen metazoan parasite species were found: one myxosporean (Myxidium giardi), one monogenean (Pseudodactylogyrus anguillae), five digeneans (Deropristis inflata, Lecithochirium rufoviride, Helicometra fasciata, Podocotyle spp., and Lecithochirium sp. metacercariae), two cestodes (Proteocephalus sp. and Bothriocephalus claviceps), two nematodes (Anguillicola crassus and Contracaecum sp. larvae), two acantocephalans (Acanthocephalus clavula and Pomphorhynchus laevis), and two crustaceans (Ergasilus gibbus and Gnathiidae gen. sp.). The parasite species D. inflata, L. rufoviride, Lecithochirium sp. metacercariae, H. fasciata, Proteocephalus sp., Contracaecum sp. larvae, R laevis, and Gnathiidae gen. sp. are recorded in Portugal for the first time in this host. Although the eels from Ria de Aveiro presented a very rich parasite community, several species occur very rarely. The low diversity observed in the intestinal infracommunity of the Ria de Aveiro eels reflects the high proportion of eels that were not parasitized or harboured only one helminth species.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 6