Metazoan parasite infracommunities of the Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) were studied in terms of species composition, species richness, diversity, numerical dominance, and similarity. Seventy-five fishes were collected from 4 localities along the Yucatan Peninsula coast and 24 parasite species recovered. Most were digeneans (8 species) and nematodes (7). Other species were monogeneans (3), aspidogastreans (2), cestodes (1), acanthocephalans (1), and crustaceans (2). Only 4 species were common in at least 1 locality. Mean values for species richness, abundance, diversity, numerical dominance, and similarity in total (all species in the individual fish), gastrointestinal, and ectoparasite infracommunities were within ranges observed for most helminth infracommunities of marine fishes from temperate and tropical latitudes. These infracommunities had low species richness, abundance, diversity, and predictability (except ectoparasite infracommunities) and high dominance. Within the predictable element (common species), the specialist monogenean Pseudobicotylophora atlantica was the main reason for the increase in predictability because it was the only common species at all 4 localities. Host feeding habits, the distribution of intermediate hosts and infective stages, the local species pool, and a phylogenetic component seem to be determining the characteristics of these metazoan parasite infracommunities.
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December 2002
Research Article|
December 01 2002
METAZOAN PARASITE INFRACOMMUNITIES OF FLORIDA POMPANO (TRACHINOTUS CAROLINUS) FROM THE COAST OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA, MEXICO
Claudia Sánchez-Ramírez;
Claudia Sánchez-Ramírez
Laboratory of Parasitology, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Carretera Antigua a Progreso Km. 6, 97310 Mérida, Yucatán, México. csanchez@mda.cinvestav.mx
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Victor M. Vidal-Martínez
Victor M. Vidal-Martínez
Laboratory of Parasitology, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Carretera Antigua a Progreso Km. 6, 97310 Mérida, Yucatán, México. csanchez@mda.cinvestav.mx
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J Parasitol (2002) 88 (6): 1087–1094.
Citation
Claudia Sánchez-Ramírez, Victor M. Vidal-Martínez; METAZOAN PARASITE INFRACOMMUNITIES OF FLORIDA POMPANO (TRACHINOTUS CAROLINUS) FROM THE COAST OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA, MEXICO. J Parasitol 1 December 2002; 88 (6): 1087–1094. doi: https://doi.org/10.1645/0022-3395(2002)088[1087:MPIOFP]2.0.CO;2
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