Helminth parasites of Characidium oiticicai Travassos 1967 and Characidium zebra Eigenmann 1909 from the Paranapanema Basin, São Paulo/PR

• Grant number: 25/12924-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Fishery Resources and Fishery Engineering - Inland Water Fishery Resources
• Principal Investigator: Reinaldo José da Silva
• Grantee: Daniela Sayuri Kameyama
• 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

Fish have the largest number and variety of parasites of any other class of vertebrates because they have lived for a long period of time in close association with the greatest variety of invertebrate forms (Thatcher, 2006). Due to this long relationship, parasitism plays an important role in various ecosystems, regulating the abundance or density of host populations, stabilizing food chains and structuring animal communities. However, studies involving helminth parasites of fish are scarce when considering the diversity of hosts in the Neotropical region and the constant human interventions that have led to a drastic reduction in the biodiversity of these hosts and consequently of their parasites. Thus, this scientific initiation work has great relevance, as it will contribute to the knowledge of the diversity, geographic distribution, taxonomy and evolutionary history of the parasitic helminths of Characidium oiticicai Travassos 1967 and Characidium zebra Eigenmann 1909 from the Paranapanema Basin, SP/PR. It is expected that this project can contribute to the knowledge of the biodiversity of parasitic helminths of fish in the Neotropical region. (AU)