Authors

Z Ayadi¹; K Benmeslem¹; F Tazerouti¹;  ¹ University of Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediene, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Biodiversity and Environment : Interactions and Genomes, Algiers, Algeria

Discussion

The fish parasite diversity in the Algerian coast still incompletely explored. During a survay on gill parasites of two Scombrid fishes: Euthynnus alletteratus (Rafinesque, 1810) and Sarda sarda (Bloch, 1793) off Algerian waters we have collected 3 species of monogenean belonging to the sub-class Monopisthocotylea Odhner, 1912 and Polyopisthocotylea Odhner, 1912. Among Monopisthocotylea, we have identified one species of the family Capsalidae Baird, 1853: Capsala manteri Price, 1951 from Euthynnus alletteratus. This monogenean is characterized by a septate haptor provided of 7 septa and two pair of anchors. The sub-class Polyopisthocotylea is represented by 2 species belonging to the family Hexostomatidae Price, 1936: Hexostoma lintoni Price, 1936 and Neohexostoma euthynni (Meserve, 1938) Price, 1961 collected from Sarda sarda and Euthynnus alletteratus respectively. The most distinctive features between the two genera are the disposition of clamps and the presence of waist-like constriction between the testicular region and the haptor. In the genus Hexostoma, the clamps are disposed in a more or less straight transverse row (Rohde, 1978) and there is no waist-like constriction in the testicular region, whereas in Neohexostoma, the clamps are disposed in a more or less vertical row with waist-like constriction in the testicular region.  

The present study is the first record of Capsala manteri, Hexostoma lintoni and Neohexostoma euthynni from Scombrid fishes of Algerian waters. In addition, we report for the first time Hexostoma lintoni from Sarda sarda off Mediterranean.

Key-words: Monogenea, parasites, Capsalidae, Hexostomatidae, Scombridae, Algerian coast