Parasitic helminths of four species of the genus Corydoras Lacepède, 1803 from the Paranapanema Basin, São Paulo/Paraná

• Grant number: 25/10322-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Reinaldo José da Silva
• Grantee: Márcio Alex Ferreira Coelho
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 24/15651-1 - Small and neglected: Unraveling the diversity and phylogenetic relationships of helminths parasitic on native fishes from the Paranapanema River basin (SP/PR), AP.R

Abstract

With an immense hydrographic network, Brazil stands out for its freshwater ichthyofauna diversity, which is also equivalent to the great variety of fish parasites. These parasites, in turn, still need to be studied further due to their importance in the ecosystem, such as in stabilizing the food chain and regulating the populations of their hosts, in addition to being indicators of environmental quality. Widely distributed throughout South America, species of the genus Corydoras stand out for their economic interest in the aquarium hobby area and few studies have been conducted to understand their parasitic fauna in Brazil. Thus, the present study aims to evaluate the helminth fauna associated with four species of Corydoras (Corydoras aeneus (Gill 1858), Corydoras ehrhardti Steindachner 1910, Corydoras longipinnis Knaack 2007 and Corydoras paleatus (Jenyns 1842)) from the Paranapanema basin, São Paulo/Paraná, and to perform the molecular characterization of these species. The taxonomic study will involve parasites that will be collected from 20 fish, previously sampled with a sieve or purse seine. Morphological and morphometric analyses will be performed using a computerized image analysis system with Differential Interference Contrast. Ecological descriptors of parasitism will be calculated (prevalence [P], mean infestation intensity [IMI] and mean abundance [AM]). For molecular analysis, DNA from parasite samples will be extracted and amplified. Next, phylogenetic reconstruction will be performed using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference methods. This study is expected to contribute to the knowledge of fish parasite fauna in the Neotropical region. (AU)