Marine fish parasites in the Cat Ba Archipelago, Vietnam: the results of 2010-2023 field surveys.

Between 2010 and 2023, a longitudinal study was undertaken to uncover the diversity of the parasite fauna of marine fishes in the Cat Ba Archipelago, a world biosphere reserve, in Vietnam. A total of 1,042 specimens representing 80 different fish species were collected and examined. Of these, 68 fish species, represented by 994 specimens (95.39%), were infected with parasites. A total of 162 parasitic species were discovered, including 54 trematodes, 37 monogeneans, 27 crustaceans, 15 myxozoans, 10 acanthocephalans, 10 nematodes, 7 cestodes, and 2 hirudineans. Over the course of the survey, twenty new species were described, including 7 acanthocephalans and 13 trematodes. Additionally, twenty species were recorded for the first time from the Cat Ba Archipelago and twenty-two species had new host records reported. The prevalence and mean intensity of parasite infection were found to be unaffected by season. These data on the parasitic fauna of Cat Ba Archipelago not only expand our knowledge of the diversity of Vietnam, but also provide strong baseline data for measuring future change resulting from environmental perturbations.

THE DIVERSITY OF CERCARIAE FROM FRESHWATER SNAILS IN LOWLAND AREAS OF BINH DINH AND PHU YEN PROVINCES, VIETNAM.

A survey was conducted in the lowland areas of Binh Dinh and Phu Yen provinces in south central Vietnam to study the diversity of digenean cercariae within freshwater snails. These regions are known as highly endemic areas for the transmission of liver flukes, Fasciola spp. and Opisthorchis viverrini. In total, 13 snail species were found, and 3 of these were dominant, comprising 51.9% of all collected snails, i.e., Bithynia funiculata, Melanoides tuberculata, and Radix auriculata. Cercariae were found in 5 snail species, and among these, Indoplanorbis exustus had the highest overall prevalence of infection (38.5%). No cercarial infections were found in viviparid and ampullariid snails. Morphological identification resulted in 10 cercariae types that were illustrated and measured. Among them, xiphidiocercariae and echinostomata were the most common, causing 70.55% of all cercariae infections. Bithynia species had the most diverse digenean fauna. Molecular data revealed the presence of cercariae of 13 digenean species, including O. viverrini. The 18S rDNA sequences of echinostomata and xiphidiocercariae type 3, which were shed from different snail hosts, were similar to 2 and 3 digenean species, respectively. In conclusion, our findings highlight the diversity of digenean fauna in Binh Dinh and Phu Yen provinces.

Understanding financial literacy and associated factors among adult population in a low-middle income country.

This study aims to identify whether demographics, socio-economic factors, the usage of the internet, smartphone and bank, and cultural factor affect Vietnamese adults' financial literacy. A sample of 669 participants participated in the online survey questionnaire (response rate of 89.92%). Multivariate general linear model regression shows that adults of younger age have better skills in cash management, credit management, savings and investment, and financial management compared to older adults. The findings suggest that participants with better income could manage savings and overall finance more effectively. Furthermore, respondents with "Uncertain avoidance" in the culture had better skills in cash management, saving, and investment. Meanwhile, preferring masculinity had higher scores in credit management, insurance, and total scale compared to those preferring femininity. The significant contribution of this study is its usefulness for economic players to have assertive financial strategies and policymakers to enhance the level of financial literacy and provide trustworthy financial guidance.

Five monogenean species (Allodiscocotylidae, Heteromicrocotylidae, Microcotylidae) from the Pacific seabream Acanthopagrus pacificus (Perciformes: Sparidae) in the Gulf of Tonkin off Vietnam, with descriptions of three new species.

A total of 52 specimens of the Pacific seabream Acanthopagrus pacificus Iwatsuki, Kume et Yoshino from the Gulf of Tonkin off Vietnam were examined for monogeneans. Twenty fish were parasitised by 101 individuals of five monogenean species, including two known species Allodiscocotyla diacanthi Unnithan, 1962 and Heterapta chorinemi (Tripathi, 1956), as well as three new species, Polylabroides tienyenensis sp. n., Polylabroides tonkinensis sp. n. and Metacamopia lebedevi sp. n. Polylabroides tienyenensis and P. tonkinensis are morphologically more similar to Polylabroides guangdongensis Zhang et Yang, 2001 in comparison with other species within the genus, based on the absence of small spines on the cirrus. However, P. tonkinensis is distinguished from P. guangdongensis by fewer clamps on the haptor and by the different shapes of the large spines on the cirrus. Similarly, P. tienyenensis differs from P. guangdongensis by vaginal ducts with fewer branches, fewer clamps and smaller egg size. Metacamopia lebedevi is distinguished from Metacamopia chorinemi (Yamaguti, 1953) by the arrangement of testes (one row vs two rows), diverticula absent in the oesophagus, and the number of anchor pairs (one vs two); it differs from Metacamopia oligoplites Takemoto, Amato et Luque, 1996 by the smaller haptor, shape and absence of small sclerotised hooks, the number of ribs in their clamps, and the position of the testes; it can be separated from Metacamopia indica (Unnithan, 1962) by having fewer testes and lacking sclerotised structures in the vagina. The present study also provides the measurements for A. diacanthi, H. chorinemi, and proposes a new key to all species of Polylabroides.