Community of parasites in<i>Triportheus curtus</i>and<i>Triportheus angulatus</i>(Characidae) from a tributary of the Amazon River system (Brazil)

Abstract

The present study compared the community of parasites in populations of Triportheus angulatus and T. curtus from a tributary of the Amazon River in northern Brazil. All hosts had one or more parasite species, 862,687 parasites were collected from T. curtus and 302,008 from T. angulatus. Species richness of parasites, Shannon diversity index and evenness index were higher for T. angulatus. The parasite communities of both hosts was similar (99%) and composed by Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, Anacanthorus pitophallus, metacercariae and Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) inopinatus, with dominance of I. multifiliis. However, low infection level by Piscinodinium pilullare, Dolops sp. and Contracaecum larvae occurred only in T. angulatus, and Spironucleus sp. was found only in T. curtus. There were differences in the prevalence, intensity and mean abundance for some parasites of both hosts. There was aggregated dispersion of parasites in both hosts, but the infection of P. (S.) inopinatus in T. angulatus showed a random dispersion. For T. angulatus and T. curtus, the diversity and abundance of parasites were influenced by the host size. This was the first report of these parasite species for T. curtus, as well as of I. multifiliis, P. pilullare, Dolops sp., P. (S.) inopinatus and Contracecum sp. for T. angulatus.