Ecological aspects of endoparasite fauna of Acestrorhynchus lacustris (Lütken, 1875) (Characiformes, Acestrorhynchidae) on the Upper Paraná River floodplain, Brazil- DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v25i2.2043

Abstract

Fifty-one specimens of Acestrorhynchus lacustris (Lütken, 1875) collected on the Upper Paraná River floodplain were analyzed from February 2000 to November 2001. Of these, 35 (68.6%) were parasitized by at least one species of endohelminth. Eight species of endoparasites were found: five nematodes (Contracaecum Type 1 larvae of Moravec, Kohn and Fernades, 1993, Contracaecum Type 2 larvae of Moravec, Kohn and Fernades, 1993, Contracaecum sp., Eustrongylides sp. and Procamallanus sp.), two digeneans (Clinostomum sp. and Rhipidocotyle gibsoni Kohn and Fernandes, 1994) and one acanthocephalan (Quadrigyrus torquatus Van Cleave, 1920). Contracaecum sp. and Q. torquatus were positively associated and also had positively correlated abundances. There was significant difference in the prevalence and abudance of infection of Q. torquatus between hosts sexes. This parasite also presented negative correlation between its intensity and host standard length. There are significant positive correlation between the prevalence of Contracaecum Type 1 and host standard length