Parasite diversity in Oxydoras niger (Osteichthyes: Doradidae) from the basin of Solimoes River, Amazonas state, Brazil, and the relationship between monogenoidean and condition factor

This study describes the parasitic fauna of Oxydoras niger from the Coari Lake, tributary of the medium Solimoes River, State of Amazonas, Brazil, and the relationship between the number of Monogenoidea and the condition factor. From a total of 27 examined fish, 70.3% were parasitised by at least one parasite species as follows: Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (Protozoa), Chilodonella sp. (Protozoa), Cosmetocleithrum gussevi, C. confusus, C. parvum and Cosmetocleithrum sp. (Monogenoidea), Paracavisona impudica (Acanthocephala), Cucullanus grandistomis (Nematoda), Proteocephalus kuyukuyu (Cestoda) and Dadaytrema sp. (Digenea). Monogenoidea helminthes were the most prevalent parasite when compared to protozoan and intestinal helminthes. This study showed that O. niger has a great parasite diversity composed mainly of monogenoideans followed by acanthocephalan and digenean. This is the first record of Dadaytrema in O. niger from the Brazilian Amazon. There was a positive correlation between the number of monogenoideans and the condition factor (Kn) of fish, and with this mean intensity of infection, fish welfare was not affected.