Parasitic copepods in the nasal fossae of five fish species (Characiformes) from the upper Paraná river floodplain, Paraná, Brazil - DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v29i4.887

Abstract

The present work had the objective to study parasitic copepods in the nasal fossae of fish from the upper Paraná river floodplain. Fish were captured in different locations of the floodplain in March, June and September, 2004. A total of 73 specimens (Characiformes) were collected, belonging to 4 distinct families and 5 species: Acestrorhynchus lacustris (Acestrorhynchidae), Schizodon borellii (Anostomidae), Prochilodus lineatus (Prochilodontidae), Serrasalmus marginatus and Serrasalmus maculatus (Serrasalmidae). Among 73 fishes examined, 53 were parasitized by nasal fossae copepods, varying from 1 to 146 parasites per host. Parasites found belonged to 3 known species: Gamidactylus jaraquensis Thatcher & Boeger, 1984; Gamispatulus schizodontis Thatcher & Boeger, 1984; and Rhinergasilus piranhus Boeger & Thatcher, 1988. There were differences in parasite corporal measurements and in the quantity of parasites per host in relation to copepod parasites from the Amazon region. The present study constitutes one of the few studies of identification of copepod parasites in the nasal fossae of fish from the Southern region of Brazil.