0000000000017346
AUTHOR
Aigües Repullés-albelda
Seasonal population dynamics of Zeuxapta seriolae (Monogenea: Heteraxinidae) parasitising Seriola dumerili (Carangidae) in the Western Mediterranean.
We examined the seasonal and yearly population dynamics of the monogenean pathogen Zeuxapta seriolae on juvenile fish from wild populations of Seriola dumerili. The study is based on bimonthly monitoring between April, 2005 and April, 2007 off Majorca, and newly obtained monogenean population data for juvenile fish from three additional localities in the Western Mediterranean (off Alicante, Corsica and Sardinia). We documented the highest intensities and abundances of Z. seriolae, with mean abundance values similar to or higher than those reported in the single case of wild fish mortalities reported to date. There was a recurrent pattern of seasonal change in infection with Z. seriolae in t…
Fish Health and Fisheries, Implications for Stock Assessment and Management: The Mediterranean Example
Although fish health may influence key population-level processes, particularly those dealing with natural mortality, reproduction and growth, which in turn affect stock productivity, there has been little emphasis on the links between fish health and management of marine fisheries. This paper addresses this gap and illustrates how knowledge of fish health provides insight to marine fisheries biologists, stock assessment modellers and managers. The study demonstrates ways in which the consideration of condition (energy reserves) indicators and parasitism adds to improved stock assessment and fisheries management, also in situations of data shortage when standard methods cannot be applied, a…
Speciation of the Paradeontacylix spp. (Sanguinicolidae) of Seriola dumerili. Two new species of the genus Paradeontacylix from the Mediterranean.
Abstract Two new species of teleost blood fluke belonging to the sanguinicolid genus Paradeontacylix are described from the greater amberjack, Seriola dumerili , i.e. Paradeontacylix ibericus n. sp. from the Iberian Peninsula and Paradeontacylix balearicus n. sp. from the Balearic Islands. P. ibericus n. sp. and P. balearicus n. sp. show morphological similarities with Paradeontacylix kampachi and Paradeontacylix grandispinus respectively, which occur in mixed infection in S. dumerili from Japan. Multivariate analysis of morphometrical data provided statistical evidence for the separation of four species. However, component by component analysis did not show statistically significant differ…
Neither Diplectanum nor specific: a dramatic twist to the taxonomic framework of Diplectanum (Monogenea: Diplectanidae).
The taxonomy of the genus Diplectanum has been exclusively based on morphological features, with 28 nominal species parasitic on perciform fishes recognised. We used molecular data, to our knowledge for the first time, to evaluate the taxonomic framework of Diplectanum, infer the relationships amongst species attributed to this genus, re-assess the degree of host specificity and explore the population genetic structure of Diplectanum spp. parasitising Mediterranean sciaenids, which are potential target fish species for aquaculture diversification in the region. A minimum of 10 specimens of Diplectanum spp. were sequenced per host species (Argyrosomus regius, Sciaena umbra, Umbrina canariens…
Post-larval development of the microcotylid monogenean Sparicotyle chrysophrii (Van Beneden and Hesse, 1863): comparison with species of Microcotylidae and Heteraxinidae.
Abstract The chronology of post-larval development in S. chrysophrii, a polyopisthocotylean monogenean parasite of the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.), was experimentally studied. It is compared with other species within the Microcotylidae and the Heteraxinidae, including an analysis of the changes in attachment and the growth rate. Gilthead seabreams infected by larvae of S. chrysophrii were killed periodically in order to collect the different developmental stages. Parasite total body length, haptor length, largest clamp width, and total number of clamps were recorded. Specimens of S. chrysophrii in culture conditions at 20 °C became gravid after 26–30 days, with 37 pairs of clamps. …
Come rain or come shine: environmental effects on the infective stages of Sparicotyle chrysophrii, a key pathogen in Mediterranean aquaculture
Background Evidence concerning the environmental influence on monogenean transmission and infection processes is widely accepted, although only the effects of a limited number of abiotic factors on particular monogenean species have been explored. The current context of climate change calls for further research both on this subject, and also that concerning monogenean hosts, especially in aquaculture. Methods In this study, four experiments were used to assess the response of the infective stages of Sparicotyle chrysophrii, a pathogenic monogenean from gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) cultures in the Mediterranean, to variations of temperature (from 10 °C to 30 °C), pH (7.0 and 7.9), phot…
Oncomiracidial development, survival and swimming behaviour of the monogenean Sparicotyle chrysophrii (Van Beneden and Hesse, 1863)
Abstract Oncomiracidial development of Sparicotyle chrysophrii , a monogenean parasite of Sparus aurata , was analysed using 450 eggs. Parasite morphological changes in time, data on hatching success, as well as oncomiracidial survival and swimming behaviour were recorded. Eggs were maintained at 20 °C and exposed to LD 12:12. They were observed under the stereomicroscope every 8 h until they hatched. Thereafter, 155 oncomiracidia were isolated in separate wells and observed every 2 h until their death. Most of the hatchings occurred in a short period of time (approximately 24 h). Hatching success was 87% and the hatching period ranged from 5 to 10 days after deposition, with most of the ha…