TITLE:
First Record in Brazil of Epistylis sp. (Ciliophora) Adhered to Argulus sp. (Argulidae), a Parasite of Hoplias aimara (Eritrhinidae)
AUTHORS:
Lincoln Lima Corrêa, Marcos Sidney Brito Oliveira, Luiza Prestes, Marcos Tavares-Dias
KEYWORDS:
Parasite Ecology, Opportunistic Parasite, Rio Araguari, Eastern Amazon
JOURNAL NAME:
Natural Resources,
Vol.7 No.6,
June
13,
2016
ABSTRACT: This paper records the first occurrence of Epistylis sp. on the body surface of Argulus sp. parasitizing Hoplias aimara from the upper Araguari River, in the eastern Amazon region, in the north of Brazil. Of the 16 specimens of H. aimara examined, 93.7% had their pelvic, caudal and pectoral fins and tegument infested by Argulus sp. (n = 73), which in turn were infested by Epistylis sp. The specimens of Epistylis sp. from the body surface of Argulus sp. were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The present study also identified a widening of the geographic distribution of these two species of ectoparasites to the eastern Amazon region of Brazil.