Parasites of the chilean jack mackerel Trachurus symmetricus murphyi (Pisces: Carangidae)

Abstract

The Chilean jack mackerel Trachurus symmetricus murphyi Nickols, 1920, is an important fisheries resource. However, its parasite fauna is poorly known. During 1986-1987, 78 specimens of T. s. murphyi were obtained, with gills nets from Caleta Constitucion (23 degree 24'S 70 degree 36'W). Size of the fishes ranged from 25.6 to 47.8 cm (ages 2+ to 5+). The analysis showed that the Chilean jack mackerel is parasitized by at least nine species: Anisakis sp. (Nematoda), Scolex pleuronectis, Tentacularia coryphaenae and Nybelinia sp. (Eucestoda), Corynosoma australis (Acanthocephala), an unidentified Opecoelidae (Digenea), Caligus sp. and Lernanthropus trachuri (Copepoda) and Ceratothoa gaudichaudi (Isopoda). The most noticeable characteristic of the parasite fauna of the Chilean jack mackerel is the absence of some parasite groups which have been found in other species of Trachurus, such as monogeneans, adult digeneans and adult acanthocephalans