Helmintofauna de Tainhas Mugil spp. (complexo liza-platanus) do litoral do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

A total of 150 adult specimens of Mugil spp. (lizaplatanus complex) collected from the coastal waters of the State of Rio de Janeiro, between June of 1984 and August of 1988, were examined for the study of their helminth fauna. Four collecting areas were established in order to compare the helminth fauna of bay and open sea fish: Baia de Sepetiba (BS), Mar Aberto A (MA), Baia da Guanabara (BG) and Mar Aberto B (MB). The fishes collected from each area were placed in three standard length classes: class A - 30.1 to 40.0 cm, class B - 40.1 to 50.0 cm and class C - 50.1 to 60.0 cm. The majority of the collected fishes (94%) was parasited with one or more species of helminths. Sixteen helminth species were found. A new species was described, for each one of the genera, Cardicola, Phyllodistomum and Genolopa. Saturnius maurepasi, Lecithaster helodes and Metamicrocotyla macracantha were registered for the xviii first time in mullets in Brasil and Parahemiurus anchoviae was registered for the first time in mullets. Based on the importance values calculated for each of the helminth species found it was possible to determine, in the helminth community structure, the existente of nine dominant species: Saccocoelioides beauforti, Dicrogaster fastigata, Hymenocotta manteri, Hysterolecitha brasiliensis, Lecithaster helodes, one new species of the genus Cardicola, one new species of the genus Genolopa, Cucullanus of. pulcherrimus and Floridosentis mugilis; four codominant species: Saturnius maurepasi, Parahemiurus anchoviae and one new species of the genus Phyllodistomum and Metamicrocotyla macracantha. No species was classified as subordinate or unsuccessful pioneer. The stomach contents of the fishes necropsied from the four areas sampled were separated in ten different groups in order to make qualitative analyses easier and to determine the relationship of their possible intermediate hosts. The composition of the helminth community structure of Mugil spp. (liza-platanus complex) from the coast of the State of Rio de Janeiro is more similar to those found in mullets from Florida, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribean Sea, than in mullets from other areas of the world. Among the species found, Phagicola sp. is of zoonotic importance.