Clavellotis briani (Copepoda, Lernaeopodidae) infestation on striped seabream, Lithognathus mormyrus (Sparidae) from the Northeast Mediterranean Sea, Turkey

Abstract

There is increasing interest in the striped seabream, Lithognathus mormyrus (Linnaeus, 1758) as an alternative fish species in aquaculture in the Mediterranean region. This paper provided information on the infestation of species of Clavellotis briani Benmansour et al (2001) (Lernaeopodidae) collected from striped seabream in Northeast Mediterranean Sea waters off the Turkish coast. A total of 234 fish were examined between May 2011 and April 2012 and female parasites were collected from the branchial arches of fish and identified. During a 12-month survey the prevalence was calculated as 3.4% for C. briani. The striped seabream is known as an alternative culture species for Mersin Bay. This is the first report of Clavellotis briani in wild population of L. mormyrus from Mersin Bay (Northeast Mediterranean Sea) and Turkish waters.