Metazoan ectoparasites of the pompano Trachinotus goodie Jordan & Evermann, 1896 (Osteichthyes: Carangidae) from the coastal zone of Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil - DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v26i1.1654

Abstract

Forty-eight specimens of Trachinotus goodie collected from the coastal zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil were necropsied to study their ectoparasites infracommunities. 653 ectoparasites were collected, on average of 13.6/fish. Six species of parasites were found: four monogeneans and two copepods. Pyragraprorus pyragraphorus was the most prevalent and abundant. Caligus mutabilis had a positive correlation between the fish size and parasite abundance. The sex of host did not influence the prevalence and abundance of any ectoparasites. The parasite species diversity showed negative correlation with the host size. Only one pair of ectoparasites species (P. pyragraphorus – Cemocotyle sp.) showed significant positive association and covariation. The ectoparasite infracommunities were dominated by monogeneans, showing values of prevalence and abundance higher than the parasitic copepods. Trachinotus goodie is a new host record for all parasite species collected in the present work