Occurrence of ectoparasitic crustaceans in Serrasalmus maculatus (Characiformes, Serrasalmidae) in the Jupiá Reservoir, Paraná River, SP

• Grant number: 22/03847-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2022
• Effective date (End): May 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Fishery Resources and Fishery Engineering - Inland Water Fishery Resources
• Principal Investigator: Igor Paiva Ramos
• Grantee: Vinicius Cesar do Bonfim
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia (FEIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Ilha Solteira. Ilha Solteira , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Fish correspond to the group of vertebrates with the greatest diversity of parasitic organisms, presenting host-parasite associations with different taxa, including crustaceans. Among the parasitic crustaceans, the Branchiura, Copepoda, and Isopoda groups stand out, in which many species parasitize fish. Parasitic crustaceans are transmitted directly to the host, is frequently found on the body surface, attacking fins and gills of wild and captive fish, causing numerous injuries both when settling and when feeding, which can lead to a reduction in resistance and survival rates of individuals. Thus, parasitic crustaceans are economically and ecologically significant, and studies are essential to provide adequate knowledge about this group of parasites. However, there is a scarcity of studies available in the Brazilian literature about this group of wild fish, so the greatest research effort is directed at parasites of commercially important fish species. In this context, Serrasalmus maculatus (Kner, 1858) is a serrasalmid for which there are records of the species as a host for parasites of several clades, but due to its wide geographic distribution, new parasite-host interactions can still be observed. Therefore, the objective of this work is to evaluate the occurrence of ectoparasitic crustaceans of S. maculatus in the Jupiá Reservoir, Itapura, state of São Paulo. For that, the fish was captured in March and June 2018, euthanized, frozen, and sent to the laboratory, where, to assess the occurrence of ectoparasite crustaceans, the body surface will be analyzed and washed and the material resulting from the washing will be analyzed under a stereomicroscope. For each ectoparasite species found, the attributes prevalence (P), average abundance (AM), and average intensity of infestation (IMI) will be calculated. Results will be expressed as mean, followed by standard error, and minimum and a maximum number of parasites recorded in parentheses. A systematic review will also be carried out to document which freshwater fish species from the Neotropics have been previously reported as hosts of ectoparasitic crustacean taxa recorded in the present study.(AU)