Metazoan Parasite Communities of Three Endemic Cichlid Fish Species from the Upper Grijalva River, Chiapas, Mexico.

We recorded the metazoan parasite communities in three endemic cichlids (Chiapaheros grammodes, Vieja breidohri and V. hartwegi) collected between November 2008 and July 2009 in the upper Grijalva River Basin (GRB), Chiapas, Mexico. In total, 6,287 individual parasites belonging to 18 taxa (1 monogenean, 6 digeneans, 1 cestode, 4 nematodes, 2 acanthocephalans, 1 hirudinean, 2 copepods and 1 pentastomid) were found. Eleven metazoans were adult forms and 7 larvae; moreover, 14 were endoparasites and 4 ectoparasites. Sixteen parasite taxa represent new geographical and host records. The helminth community in the three cichlids was characterized by higher number of generalists than specialists, as well as a higher proportion of autogenics than allogenics. The metazoan parasites showed prevalence and mean abundances moderate to high. The infracommunities and component community of metazoan parasites had low diversity, richness, and number of individuals and are similar to those reported for other cichlids in Southeastern Mexico, characterized by the presence of typical parasites of cichlids, with a high number of digeneans and generalist parasites. We report the introduced Asian parasitic copepod Neoergasilus japonicus parasitizing endangered or threatened endemic cichlids in the upper GRB. This copepod have been widespread in other freshwater fish species, mainly in Asia (China, India, Japan, Russia, Taiwan), Europe (France, Hungary, Italy, Turkey), and America (Cuba, Mexico, Peru, United States).

Haliotrematoides spp. (Monogenoidea: Dactylogyridae) infecting the gills of grunts (Perciformes: Haemulidae) from the southern coast of Quintana Roo, Mexico.

One previously described species, Haliotrema striatohamus Zhukov, 1981, found off the coast of Cuba and Campeche (Gulf of Mexico), is redescribed and transferred to Haliotrematoides Kritsky, Yang and Sun, 2009, as Haliotrematoides striatohamus ( Zhukov, 1981) n. comb. This transfer is based on the study of new specimens of this species found in the gill lamellae of grunts, i.e., Haemulon aurolineatum Cuvier, Haemulon plumierii (Lacepède), and Haemulon sciurus (Shaw) (Haemulidae), all from the southern coast of Quintana Roo, Mexico. In addition, another previously described species, Haliotrema brevispirocirrus Zhukov, 1981 from Haemulon striatum (Linnaeus) from Havana, Cuba, is also transferred to Haliotrematoides based on the comparative morphology of its original description. Data are provided for prevalence and mean intensity as well as for the morphologic and biometric variability of H. striatohamus from different hosts. The new replacement of H. striatohamus ( Zhukov, 1981) n. comb. and H. brevispirocirrus (Zhukov, 1981) n. comb. infecting these taxa represents the first known species of Haliotrematoides on these fishes and new geographical records for these dactylogyrid monogenoids.

Helminth communities of four commercially important fish species from Chetumal Bay, Mexico.

The relative importance of ecology and evolution as factors determining species richness and composition of the helminth communities of fish is a matter of current debate. Theoretical studies use host-parasite lists, but these do not include studies on a temporal or spatial scale. Local environmental conditions and host biological characteristics are shown to influence helminth species richness and composition in four fish species (Eugerres plumieri, Hexanematichthys assimilis, Oligoplites saurus, and Scomberomorus maculatus) in Chetumal Bay, Mexico. With the exception of H. assimilis, the helminth communities had not been previously studied and possible associations between environmental and host biological characteristics as factors determining helminth species richness and composition using redundancy analysis (RDA) are described. Thirty-four helminth species are identified, with the highest number of species (19 total (mean = 6.3 +/- 2.1)) and the lowest (9 (4.0 +/- 1.0)) occurring in H. assimilis and S. maculatus, respectively. The larval nematodes Contracaecum sp. and Pseudoterranova sp. were not only the helminth species shared by all four host species but also were the most prevalent and abundant. Statistical associations between helminth community parameters and local ecological variables such as host habitat use, feeding habits, mobility, and time of residence in coastal lagoons are identified. Phylogeny is important because it clearly separates all four host species by their specialist parasites, although specific habitat and feeding habits also significantly influence the differentiation between the four fish species.

First description of the male and redescription of the female of Philometra salgadoi Vidal-Martínez et al., 1995 (Nematoda: Philometridae) from the ocular cavity of the marine fish Epinephelus morio in Mexico.

A redescription of the female and the first description of the male of the philometrid nematode Philomnetra salgadoi Vidal-Martínez, Aguirre-Macedo et Moravec, 1995 are presented on the basis of specimens collected from the type host, the red grouper. Epinephelus morio (Valenciennes; Pisces: Serranidae), in the Gulf of Mexico off the northern coast of Yucatan, Mexico. The morphology of this species is compared with that of related congeneric species.

Helminth parasites of Epinephelus morio (Pisces: Serranidae) of the Yucatan Peninsula, southeastern Mexico.

The present paper comprises a systematic survey of helminths from 202 red groupers, Epinephelus morio (Valenciennes) (Pisces: Serranidae), the most important commercial marine fish in the region, collected from ten localities off the Yucatan Peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico during 1994-1996; two more helminth species were recorded from E. morio earlier. Thirty species of helminths were found: Monogenea 1, Cestoda 3, Trematoda 17, Nematoda 8, Acanthocephala 1. Of them, 15 species were adults, whereas 15 species were larval stages parasitizing piscivorous elasmobranch and teleostean fishes, birds and marine mammals as adults. A new didymozoid trematode, Allonematobothrium yucatanense sp. n., is described from the fins of this host. Most findings represent new host- and geographical records. Philometra margolisi, a nematode parasitizing the gonads, is undoubtedly the most important parasite affecting the reproduction of the host, endangering E. morio in aquaculture. Larval anisakid nematodes (Anisakis, Pseudoterranova, Hysterothylacium) recorded from the red grouper in the region of the southern Gulf of Mexico are important from the viewpoint of public health.

Nematodes parasitic in fishes of cenotes (= sinkholes) of the Peninsula of Yucatan, Mexico. Part 1. Adults.

The present paper comprises a systematic survey of adult nematodes collected from fishes from cenotes (= sinkholes) of the Peninsula of Yucatan, southeastern Mexico, in 1993-1994. Examinations of a total of 533 fishes (17 species) originating from 39 cenotes from the Mexican states of Yucatan and Quintana Roo revealed the presence of the following nine nematode species: Rhabdochona (Rhabdochona) kidderi, Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) rebecae, P. (S.) neocaballeroi, Philometroides caudata, Hysterothylacium cenotue. Pseudocapillaria yucatanensis, Paracapillaria rhamdiae, P. teixerafreitasi and Capillostrongyloides sp. (only females). Four species (R. kidderi, P. rebecae, P. neocaballeroi and Capillostrongyloides sp.) are briefly described and illustrated and some problems concerning their morphology, taxonomy, hosts and geographical distribution are discussed. Taxonomic changes include Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) neocaballeroi (Caballero-Deloya. 1977) comb. n. and Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) rebecae (Andrade-Salas, Pineda-López et García-Magaña, 1994) comb. n. The nematode fauna of fishes in cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula shows its appurtenance to the Neotropical fauna with close affinities with that of fish nematodes from South America, but with a considerable degree of endemism.

Nematodes parasitic in fishes of cenotes (= sinkholes) of the Peninsula of Yucatan, Mexico. Part 2. Larvae.

This paper comprises a systematic survey of larval nematodes collected from fishes from cenotes (= sinkholes) of the Peninsula of Yucatan, southern Mexico, in 1993-1994. Larvae of the following nine species were recorded: Physocephalus sexalatus, Acuariidae gen. sp., Spiroxys sp., Falcaustra sp., Hysterothylacium cenotae, Contracaecum sp. Type 1, Contracaecum sp. Type 2, Goezia sp., and Eustrongylides sp. Larvae of P. sexalatus are recorded from fishes (Rhamdia guatemalensis) for the first time. The larvae are briefly described and illustrated and problems concerning their morphology, taxonomy, hosts and geographical distribution are discussed. Adults of these larvae are parasitic in piscivorous fishes, reptiles, birds and mammals (definitive hosts). Fishes harbouring the larvae of these parasites serve as paratenic hosts, being mostly an important source of infection for the definitive hosts.