Anisakis infections in lantern fish (Myctophidae) from the Arabian Sea: A dual role for lantern fish in the life cycle of Anisakis brevispiculata?

Abstract Data on geographic distribution and life cycles of parasitic nematodes of the genus Anisakis in tropical oceanic regions are extremely scarce. Myctophids (lantern fishes) are a key component of mesopelagic trophic webs and could play a significant role in the transmission of Anisakis spp. in these regions. We examined Anisakis infections in a sample of 160 myctophids collected in three localities from the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (Arabian Sea) in 2015–16. Due to the poor condition of fish, a combination of morphological data and molecular barcoding was used to identify myctophids. Of the 104 specimens that could be identified at least to genus level, 75 (72.1%) were assigned …