Metazoan Parasites of <i>Geophagus proximus</i>, a Cichlidae Fish from the Eastern Amazon (Brazil)

Marcos Sidney Brito Oliveira, Lincoln Lima Corrêa, Liliane de Araújo Castro, Letícia Silva Brito, Marcos Tavares-Dias

Natural Resources, January 2017, Scientific Research Publishing, Inc,
DOI: 10.4236/nr.2017.83015

Parasites of Fish from the Eastern Amazon (Brazil)

What is it about?

The present study investigated the fauna of metazoan parasites of populations of Geophagus proximus from the Lower Tapajós River, in the state of Pará, northern Brazil. A total of 137 monogenea were collected from the gills of G. proximus, including Sciadicleithrum kritskyi, Sciadicleithrum paranaensis and Sciadicleithrum geophagi, while 119 Raphidascaris (Sprentascaris) lanfrediae nematodes and 28 metacercariae of Digenea gen. sp. were collected from the intestines. Hosts harboring four species of parasites were predominant. The parasites had an aggregated dispersion pattern. The present study represents the first record of S. geophagi parasitizing G. proximus, increasing the geographic distribution of these parasite species to the Tapajós River Basin.

Why is it important?

The present study investigated the fauna of metazoan parasites of populations of Geophagus proximus from the Lower Tapajós River, in the state of Pará, northern Brazil.The present study represents the first record of S. geophagi parasitizing G. proximus, increasing the geographic distribution of these parasite species to the Tapajós River Basin