The parasitofauna of Scomber japonicus Hottuyn, 1782 (Pisces: Scombridae) in two zones of the Argentine Sea

CREMONTE , FLORENCIA; SARDELLA, NORMA H

FISHERIES RESEARCH

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 1997 vol. 31 p. 1 - 9

0165-7836

Cremonte, F. and Sardella, N. H. The parasitofauna of the Scomber japonicus Houttyun, 1782 (Pisces: Scombridae) in two zones of the Argentine  Sea.Parasitological examinations of 173 specimens of Scomber japonicus from two areas of the Argentine Sea: Mar del Plata, 37-38°S (N= 90) and El Rincón, 39-41°S (N= 83) between September 1993 and August 1995 were made. A total of 94.75 % of mackerel examined harboured 6081 parasites belonging to the following taxa: Kuhnia scombri (Kuhnia, 1829) Sproston, 1945 (Monogenea); Opechona spp.; Nematobothrium spp. (Digenea); Hysterothylacium spp., Anisakis spp., Contracaecum spp. and Pseudoterranova spp. (Nematoda); Scolex pleuronectis Müller, 1788 (Cestoda); Corynosoma australe Johnston, 1937 (Acanthocephala).  With the exception of K. scombri, all the parasites are reported for first time for mackerel of the area under study. C. australe is the first record for this host. Prevalence and abundance of infestation were calculated for each parasite species and for each area. The importance of sex, body size, diet and fishing area of the host, as related to the magnitud of parasite, is also examined. On the basis on a multivariate analysis (DECORANA), the quantitaive variations in some parasites would show the possibility of their use as tags of different ecological conditions of both geographic areas.