Neotrop. Helminthol., 7(1), 2013

2013 Asociación Peruana de Helmintología e Invertebrados Afines (APHIA)

ISSN: 2218-6425 impreso / ISSN: 1995-1043 on line

ORIGINAL ARTICLE / ARTÍCULO ORIGINAL

FIRST RECORD OF LERNAEA CYPRINACEA (COPEPODA) IN A NATIVE FISH SPECIES

FROM A BRAZILIAN RIVER

PRIMER REGISTRO DE LERNAEA CYPRINACEA (COPEPODA) EN UNA ESPECIE NATIVA DE

PEZ DE UN RÍO BRASILEÑO

1 2 1

Aline Angelina Acosta ; Edmir Daniel Carvalho & Reinaldo José da Silva

Abstract

This is the report of the occurrence of Lernaea cyprinacea (Linnaeus, 1758) parasitizing the

native fish species Steindachnerina insculpta (Fernández-Yépez, 1948). Sixty host specimens

were captured in Taquari River, municipality of Taquarituba, São Paulo State, Brazil. Three hosts

were infested with L. cyprinacea. The infestation rate was low, with one parasite per host. Proper

management should be applied in fish farms to prevent the escape of this parasite, and its

consequent spread.

Keywords: anchor worm - fish ectoparasites - Lernaeosis - Steindachnerina insculpta.

Resumen

Palabras clave: ectoparásito de peces - Lernaeosis - Steindachnerina insculpta - verme áncora.

Este estudio tiene como objetivo registrar por primera vez la presencia de Lernaea cyprinacea

(Linnaeus, 1758) parasitando a la especie de pez nativa Steindachnerina insculpta (Fernández-

Yépez, 1948). Una muestra de 60 especímenes fueron capturados en el río Taquari, Taquarituba,

São Paulo, Brasil. Tres hospederos estaban infectados con L. cyprinacea. La tasa de infestación

fue baja con un parásito por hospedero. Un manejo adecuado debe aplicarse en peces cultivados

para impedir el escape de este parásito y su consiguiente dispersión.

Suggested citation: Acosta, AA, Carvalho, ED & Silva, RJ. 2013. First record of Lernaea cyprinacea (Copepoda) in a native fish

species from a brazilian river. Neotropical Helminthology, vol. 7, N°1, jan-jun, pp. 7 - 12.

1UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Campus de Botucatu, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Parasitologia, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brasil.

alineacosta1@gmail.com

2UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Campus de Botucatu, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Morfologia, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brasil.

INTRODUCTION

Approximately 110 species of lernaeids have

been described in 14 different genera (Ho,

1998). The most common species is Lernaea

cyprinacea (Linnaeus, 1758), which has been

widely displaced with cultured fish species and

is now found throughout North America,

Europe, Asia, southern Africa and eastern

Australia (Hoffman, 1970; Lester & Hayward,

2006). There have also been records of L.

cyprinacea in South America (Gabrielli & Orsi,

2000; Qerol et al., 2005; Magalhães, 2006;

Gallio et al., 2007; Düpont & Lobe, 2011).

Lernaea cyprinacea is a lernaeid copepod

usually known as anchor worm (Thatcher,

2006). The species has nine stages during the life

cycle, including three free-living naupliar

stages, five copepodid stages, and one adult

stage. After male and female adults mate on the

fish, the males die and the females

metamorphose, insert their anterior body into the

host tissue, and produce eggs (Grabda, 1963

apud Nagasawa et al., 2007). There are two

kinds of adults females, known respectively as

premetamorphic and postmetamorphic females.

The last are elongate forms whose heads are

inserted into the fish tissue, often in a blood

vessel, and what is left of the body stays free in

the water (Thatcher & Willians, 1998).

The major harms caused by this parasite on fish

hosts appear to be on the gills, triggering

hemorrhage and necrosis with consequent

decrease of breathing capacity. Lernaeid can

also cause deep injuries in the tegument, external

muscle tissue, eyes surface and even inner

organs in some cases. Thus, these injuries may

increase the chance of acquiring secondary

infections, since infested hosts are more

susceptible to bacteria, fungi and virus.

Furthermore, some researches related that

copepods infestation in fish may cause weight

loss, lower growth rate, blood alterations and

even behavior alteration (Gabrielli & Orsi,

2000).

Lernaea cyprinacea is an introduced parasite

largely studied in Brazil. It was introduced with

the beginning of Cyprinus carpio (Linnaeus,

1758) farming activities in the 80's. Currently,

this parasite has spread almost throughout Brazil

with several registers in farming enterprises

causing huge losses to the owners. However,

some of these enterprises do not apply proper

management measures to fully avoid escapes of

farmed fish into natural environment, which

consequently causes the release of pathogens

(Orsi & Agostinho, 1999). Due to this fact, there

have been records of L. cyprinacea in native fish

in natural environment in Brazil (Gabrielli &

Orsi, 2000).

Gabrielli & Orsi (2000) recorded L. cyprinacea

infestation in native fishes during a research

conducted in Tibagi River, Parana State, Brazil

in 1997 and 1998. The infested species were:

Astyanax bimaculatus (Linnaeus, 1758);

Iheringichtys labrosos (Kroeyer, 1874);

Leporinus elongatus (Valenciennes, 1849);

Leporinus friderici (Bloch, 1794); Schizodon

intermedius (Garavello & Britski, 1990);

Serrasalmus spilopleura (Kner, 1860); and

Schizodon nasutus (Kner, 1859). Querol et al.

(2005) recorded L. cyprinacea in native species

in Arroio Creek, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil.

Such species were: Cyphocharax spilotus (Vari,

1987); Cyphocharax voga (Hensel, 1870) and

St ei nd ac hn er i na b io rn at a (Braga &

Azpelicueta, 1987). Magalhães (2006) also have

records in A. bimaculatus in Paraíba do Sul

River, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Lastly,

Düpont & Lobo (2011) registered for the first

time L. cyprinacea infestation in Astyanax

fasciatus (Cuvier, 1819) in Pardinho River, Rio

Grande do Sul State, Brazil.

Steindachnerina insculpta is a fish species with

iliophagous feeding habit and it is important for

maintenance of the food chain (Reis et al.,

2003). Infestations with L. cyprinacea may

jeopardize the fish health leading to death

(Thatcher, 2006), thus reducing the number of

these fish species may trigger impacts on fish

species that feed on fishes (Gabrielli & Orsi,

2000; Agostinho et al., 2007).

This research aims to report for the first time L.

cyprinacea parasitizing the native species

Acosta et al.

Lernaea cyprinacea in a native fish from Brazil

Leanea cyprinacea has been found infesting

native fishes species in Brazil, as follow A.

bimaculatus, I. labrosos, L. elongatus, L.

friderici, S. intermedius, S. spilopleura, S.

nasutus, C. spilotus, C. voga, S. biornata and A.

fasciatus (Gabrieli & Orsi, 2000; Querol et al.,

2005; Magalhães, 2006; Düpont & Lobo, 2011)

Likewise, this parasite has been reported in other

countries around the world . Hence, the present

study is the first record of L. cyprinacea

parasitizing the native S. insculpta, and further, it

is the first record of this parasite in Taquari

River, São Paulo State, Brazil.

Lernaeosis has been one of the main concerns in

fish farms, triggering mortality and economic

losses, since the harms caused by L. cyprinacea

on fish hosts enable secondary infections

precluding the market (Pizzolatti, 2000),

specially for cultures of cyprinid (Scholz, 1999).

Furthermore, it is difficult to treat an infected

fish farm because it is necessary to apply

products with high toxicity, and sometimes the

only feasible measure is to eliminate the whole

fish stock (Gabrielli & Orsi, 2000).

In Brazil, fish farm enterprises have been the

main source of species introduction through

escapes. These enterprises are usually installed

in the vicinity of natural water courses which

puts these environments under potential risk of

dispersion of exotic species (Agostinho et al.,

2007). Lack of proper management in fish farms

favor the escapes, such as empting the tanks

carelessly, and unpromptness when facing

strong flood periods (Orsi & Agostinho, 1999).

The intentional or accidental introduction of

exotic species is one of the greatest causes of

biological diversity loss, along with habitat

destruction, and overexploitation of natural

resources. About 40% of recorded extinctions of

aquatic organisms were caused by introduced

species (Agostinho et al., 2007). The

dissemination of diseases is one of the potential

impacts of introduced aquatic organisms upon

native aquatic communities, altering their

abundance and composition. The spread of an

exotic pathogen in a large water course is a

permanent threat to the integrity of natural

Steindachnerina insculpta (Fernández-Yépez,

1948) in a tributary of a Brazilian reservoir.

The fish sampling was composed of 60

specimens of S. insculpta, collected during

summer (October and November-2011), with

half sampled in a lotic stretch (23° 40' 2,90"S;

49° 7' 56,85"W) and the other half in two lentic

stretches of Taquari River (23°29' 21,95"S; 49°

9' 43,68"W; 23° 17' 2,80"S; 49° 12' 6.90"W), a

tributary of Jurumirim reservoir, located in the

municipality of Taquarituba, São Paulo State,

Brazil. The fish were collected using gill nets,

with mesh size ranging from 3 to 7 cm, set in the

afternoon and removed early in the next

morning, thus exposed for approximately 14 h.

All samples were frozen after collecting and

then examined in the laboratory. Their surfaces

were analyzed and the lernaeids were carefully

removed from the host tissues using tweezers

and needle syringes; after removing they were

preserved in Alcohol Formalin Acetic Acid

solution (AFA). Voucher specimens were

deposited in the Coleção Helmintológica do

Instituto de Biociências de Botucatu (CHIBB

7056-7058), São Paulo State, Brazil. All

collections were authorized by Federal licenses

for activities with scientific purposes (SISBIO

15549-1). Photomicrographs of the lernaeids

were obtained using Leica Application Suite

3.7.0 software in Leica M125 stereomicroscope.

From 60 host samples of S. insculpta analyzed,

three were parasitized by L. cyprinacea (Figure

1 and 2). One infested host was collected in a

lentic stretch of Taquari River, and the other two

in a lotic stretch. The rate of infestation was low,

with one parasite per host. Among the lernaeids

found, there were two pregnant and one non-

pregnant female. One host was found with the

parasite on the surface, the other attached to the

muscle tissue through the cloaca, and the last one

was attached to the muscle through one of the

pectoral fins.

Neotrop. Helminthol., 7(1), 2013

MATERIAL AND METHODS

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

environments (Agostinho et al., 2007).

Regarding L. cyprinacea as a cosmopolitan

parasite (Nagasawa et al., 2007) and the huge

dimension of Brazilian reservoirs (Agostinho et

al., 2007), this parasite can spread out of control

and affect native fish species (Gabrielli & Orsi,

2000).

What is suggested in this work for mitigating and

further eliminating the spread of L. cyprinacea

in natural environment corroborates with the

authors that previously recorded these parasites

in native species and they recommend that the

feasible solution is to prevent future escapes of

infected hosts and even the parasites themselves

(Gabrielli & Orsi, 2000; Magalhães, 2006;

Marina et al. 2008; Düpont & Lobo, 2011). To do

so, there should be more involvement,

investment, and a more efficient surveillance of

the government sector responsible for

aquaculture in Brazil. Such measures should be

educating fish farms owners and the population

about the consequences of improper

management. Moreover, there should also be

rules to be applied in order to prevent the spread

of lernaeosis.

Acosta et al.

Lernaea cyprinacea in a native fish from Brazil

Figure 1. Lernaea cyprinacea (arrow) of Steindachnerina insculpta from Taquari River, municipality of

Taquarituba, São Paulo State, Brazil.

Neotrop. Helminthol., 7(1), 2013

Figure 2. Lernaea cyprinacea of Steindachnerina insculpta from Taquari River, municipality of Taquarituba, São

Paulo State, Brazil. Note the hemorrhagic area around the insertion point of the head of the anchor worm (arrow).

The authors thank FAPESP (2010/19543-6) and

CAPES (AUX-PE-PNPD 3005/2010) for the

financial support given to the study.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

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Lernaea cyprinacea in a native fish from Brazil

Correspondence to author/ Autor para

correspondencia:

Aline Angelina Acosta

UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Campus de

Botucatu, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento

de Parasitologia, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brasil.

E-mail / Correo electrónico:

alineacosta1@gmail.com

Received November 26, 2012.

Accepted February 4, 2013.

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