Morphological aspects of Clinostomidae metacercariae (Trematoda: Digenea) in Hoplerytrinus unitaeniatus and Hoplias malabaricus (Pisces: Erythrinidae) of the Neotropical region, Brazil

Abstract

Species of fish of Marajó Island, State of Pará, Brazil, were examined to identify the trematodes parasitizing 102 Hoplerytrinus unitaeniatus (gold wolf fish) and 104 Hoplias malabaricus (thraira). Metacercariae of two species of trematodes, 170 specimens of Clinostomatopsis sorbens and 10 Ithyoclinostomum dimorphum were found and identified. The parasitary indices of C. sorbens from H. unitaeniatus and H. malabaricus, were 43.14% and 30.77% for prevalence, 2.52 and 1.84 for mean intensity, 1.09 and 0.57 for mean abundance and 1 to 9 and 1 to 7 for range of infection, respectively, on both fish the site of infection was the mesentery. The parasitary indices of I. dimorphum from H. unitaeniatus were 2.94% for prevalence, 2.66 for mean intensity, 0.08 for mean abundance, 1 to 4 for range of infection, and the sites of infection were the mesentery and the muscle. Metacercariae of I. dimorphum were collected in muscles of a specimen of H. malabaricus, with 0.96% of prevalence, intensity of infection of 2 parasites and 0.02 of abundance. New morphological data of external and internal structures are presented. This is the first record of metacercariae of C. sorbens and I. dimorphum in Amazonian fish.