Quantitative and qualitative study of metazoan parasites of two fish species siluriformes collected in Jacaré-Pepira river, state of São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Currently the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems is being threatened due to extensive degradation in marine and freshwater environments. Thus, some authors have advocated the study of the species of parasites as a fundamental part of this biodiversity because there is a deficit in studies on taxonomy, systematics and parasitic biodiversity in the world. Brazil has several rivers, some of which are very long and important. However, in ecosystems freshwater a great biodiversity of fish can be found: about 4,035 species of fish representing approximately 31% of fish species of the world's freshwater distributed as follows: 53% Siluriformes, 35% Characiformes, 4% Gymnotiformes, 5% Cyprinodontiformes and 3% Perciformes. However, the region of the river Jacaré-Pepira features a fish diversity yet to be explored in ichthyological studies, and one of the groups of fish that are present in this river are the Siluriformes fish. These are quite diverse and widely distributed, with large taxonomic complexity. Thus, the main objective of this project will diagnose qualitatively and quantitatively the parasite communities of metazoan parasites of Rhamdia quelen and Pimelodus maculatus collected in Jacaré-Pepira, municipality of Ibitinga, to get more information on biodiversity involved in this environment water of the State of São Paulo. (AU)