Aspectos ecológicos e taxonômicos da fauna ectoparasitária de Plagioscion squamosissimus (Heckel, 1840) (Sciaenidae) no rio Tapajós, Bacia Amazônica, Brasil.

Abstract

Plagioscion squamosissimus (Heckel, 1840) (Sciaenidae), known as “corvina” is a native species of Amazon basin and it is a model for studding their parasites. Intending to analyze ectoparasites ecological aspects, such as distribution and interactions, gills of twenty specimens were analyzed, from rio Tapajós, in the region of Santarém-PA, Brazil. Ecological analyzes considered distribution of parasites between host specimens and also microhabitats occupied by ectoparasites. Eighteen ectoparasites species were founded, fourteen monogenetic and four copepods. Considering species abundance, monogenetic were the dominant group and Euryhaliotrema thatcheri was the most abundant in all analyzed hosts. There was a significate correlation between some parasite species abundance and prevalence with total length and host condition factor. Each species of parasite presented an aggregate distribution pattern. The community of P. squamosissimus ectoparasites were interactive. Considering the distribution of the species in the gills, there was a significant difference in the composition between arches, segments and regions. It is suggested that this distribution is related to factors related to microhabitat, such as water flow and area available for fixation of parasites, as well as the structures of fixation of each species and interactions such as positive associations and competition. During the investigation of the material, specimens that differed from the species already described were founded, so three new monogenetic species were proposed, belonging to the genus Aetheolabes, Anakohnia and Euryhaliotrema, based on their morphological characteristics.