Helminth parasites of Characidium fasciatum Reinhardt 1867 and Characidium gomesi Travassos 1956 from the Paranapanema Basin, São Paulo/PR

• Grant number: 25/13064-4
• 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: Nicole Rossi
• 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

Brazil has one of the richest freshwater fish faunas in the world. In proportion to the diversity of freshwater fish, the diversity of fish parasites is also quite significant in Brazil, however, little of this wealth has been explored to date. Characidium fasciatum Reinhardt 1867 and Characidium gomesi Travassos 1956 are native species that have been little studied from a parasitological point of view and are abundant in the Paranapanema River basin. In addition, few species of helminths parasitic on these fish have been genetically studied. Therefore, the objective of this project is to study the species of helminths parasitic on C. fasciatum Reinhardt 1867 and C. gomesi from the Paranapanema River basin, based on integrative taxonomy, to contribute to the knowledge of biodiversity and to the understanding of the phylogenetic relationships of the species of helminths parasitic on fish in the Neotropical region.