Lecithochirium monticellii digenetic trematode parasites of Trichiurus lepturus (Actinopterygii) from the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with notes on its taxonomy.

Trichiurus lepturus (Actinopterygii, Perciformes) is a commercially and economically important fish. A total of 60 specimens of this cutlassfish were collected of the coast the municipalities of Niterói and Cabo Frio, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The fish were measured, necropsied, filleted and had their organs investigated for digenetic trematodes. Taxonomic identification was based on morphological and morphometric characters. The specimens of T. lepturus were parasitized with adult specimens of Lecithochirium monticellii. Parasite indices of prevalence, intensity, mean intensity, abundance, mean abundance, range of infection, and site of infection of parasitic species were evaluated. Notes on the taxonomy of the parasite were also included. This is the first report of L. monticellii parasitizing T. lepturus in Brazil.

Ultrastructural morphology and phylogeny of Henneguya gilbert n. sp. (Myxozoa) infecting the teleostean Cyphocharax gilbert (Characiformes: Curimatidae) from Brazil.

This paper describes light and ultrastructural observations and molecular analysis of a fish-infecting myxosporean, Henneguya gilbert n. sp., which was found infecting the gill epithelium of the commercially important freshwater teleost fish Cyphocharax gilbert (Curimatidae) collected in the estuarine region of Guandu River, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. The parasite occurs in the gills, forming whitish spherical to ellipsoidal polysporic cysts measuring up to ~ 750 µm, and displaying asynchronous development. Mature myxospores are ellipsoidal with a bifurcated caudal process. The length, width and thickness of the body of the myxospore are 12.0 × 5.3 × 3.6 µm, respectively; two equal caudal processes are 16.8 µm long, and the total length of the myxospore is 27.2 µm. There are two unequal polar capsules: the larger measures 5.5 µm length × 1.3 µm width and has a polar filament with 9-10 coils; the smaller is 4.0 µm long × 1.3 µm wide and has a polar filament with 7-8 coils. The sporoplasm is binucleated and presents a spherical vacuole surrounded by numerous globular sporoplasmosomes. Phylogenetic analysis, based on the small subunit rRNA sequencing, using maximum likelihood method reveals the parasite clustering together with other myxobolids that are histozoic and parasitize freshwater fish of the order Characiformes, thereby strengthening the contention that the host phylogenetic relationships and aquatic environment are the strongest evolutionary signals for myxosporeans of the family Myxobolidae.

[Trypanorhyncha cestodes parasitic in blackfin goosefish, Lophius gastrophysus Miranda-Ribeiro, 1915 purchased in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil]. / Cestóides Trypanorhyncha parasitos de peixe sapo-pescador, Lophius grastrophysus Miranda-Ribeiro, 1915 comercializados no estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.

The aim of this study was to determine the cestodes species of the order Trypanorhyncha that parasite the blackfin goosefish, Lophius gastrophysus Miranda-Ribeiro, 1915 purchased from fishermen, markets and exportation fish industries from municipalities of Cabo Frio, Niterói, Duque de Caxias and Rio de Janeiro, emphasizing their parasite indexes, sites of infection and higienic-sanitary importance. Eighty seven specimens of L. gastrophysus were necropsied from March 2000 to December 2005. Forty one fish (47%) were parasitized by metacestodes of Trypanorhyncha. The collected species were Tentacularia coryphaenae, Nybelinia sp., Mixonybelinia sp. and Progrillotia dollfusi. Most of the parasitized fish (92.7%), presented metacestodes of Trypanorhyncha, in the abdominal muscles and in muscles of commercial importance (lateral back-dorsum), belonging to the species T. coryphaenae, Nybelinia sp., Mixonybelinia sp. Only three (7.3%) fish specimens did not present trypanorhynch metacestodes in the muscles, two of them were parasitized by Nybelinia sp. on the mesentery and the celomatic cavity and the other by P. dollfusi on the celomatic cavity. On some individuals, Mixonybelinia sp. caused equimotic hemorragic lesions on the fascia of the abdominal muscles. The presence of Trypanorhyncha metacestodes in the muscles does not represent a risk of infection for humans, but they have a negative effect on fish aesthetics because of the repugnant aspect, causing consumer rejection and the prohibition for commercial purpose by sanitary inspectors. Parasites of the order Trypanorhyncha are recorded in L. gastrophysus for the first time.

Comparação entre os processos de salga em salmoura e salga mista do curimatã (Prochilodus nigricans) na região Amazônica / Comparing process of brine salting and pickle salting of curimatã (Prochilodus nigricans) in the Amazon area

O presente estudo objetivou a comparação tecnológica dos processos de salga mista e salga em salmoura visando a obtenção de um produto de boa qualidade higiênico-sanitária e baixo custo de produção para atender às populações de baixa renda. A pesquisa envolveu medição de parâmetros físico-químicos e microbiológicos utilizando como matéria-prima 50 exemplares de curimatá (Prochilodus nigricans), coletados diretamente dos barcos pesqueiros na cidade de Manaus -AM. As amostras, acondicionadas em caixas isotérmicas com gelo, foram encaminhadas à Planta-Piloto de Pescado do Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA). No músculo do pescado fresco foram medidas as concentrações de umidade (secagem em estufa a 105 graus C) e de lipídios (método de Soxhlet). Após o processamento da salga por ambos os métodos realizaram-se análises de cloretos, umidade, ranço e contagens microbiológicas para avaliar possível contaminação durante o processo. O teor médio de umidade no pescado fresco foi de 75,89 porcento e o teor médio de lipídios, de 2,52 porcento. O pescado submetido a salga em salmoura, no 6º dia do processo apresentou absorção de 16,52 porcento de NaCI e 53,48 porcento de umidade. Os exemplares submetidos a salga mista no mesmo período apresentaram valores de 17,31 porcento de MaCI e 48,72 porcento de umidade. Os resultados referentes à pesquisa de ranço foram positivos para todas as amostras submetidas a processo de salga mista e negativos para as amostras submetidas a salga em salmoura. Ficou evidente que o processo de salga mista apresentou vantagens sobre o processo de salga em salmoura com relação aos níveis de NaCI, que foram maiores, e de umidade, que foi menor, ao final de seis dias de processamento. No entanto, os resultados microbiológicos obtidos evidenciam vantagens no processo de salga em salmoura, pois o crescimento de halófilos extremos e moderados foi menor neste tipo de tratamento e a população de bolores e leveduras teve maior crescimento nos produtos submetidos ao processo de salga mista.