Uncovering the Intraspecific Variation of Lernaea Parasites and Their Organ-Specific Distribution in Tor Fish (Tor tambroides) | ||||
| Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries | ||||
| Article 39, Volume 29, Issue 4, July and August 2025, Page 717-727 PDF (471.67 K) | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejabf.2025.441837 | ||||
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| Author | ||||
| Sari et al. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| This study aimed to examine the species diversity of Lernaea-infesting Tor fish and determine the infestation patterns based on the organs preferred by the parasites. A total of 740 Lernaea specimens were collected and morphologically identified, revealing five species of Lernaea infesting the Tor tambroides fish, namely L. cyprinacea, L. vastatrix, L. oryziphila, L. papuensis, and one species remaining unidentified. Lernaea cyprinacea showed as the most dominant species found. Violin plot analyses revealed varying infestation patterns across different fish species and host organs, with the mouth and fins emerging as the most frequently targeted sites. Although the Kruskal-Wallis test did not indicate a statistically significant difference in infestation levels among organs, the observed trends suggest adaptive strategies employed by Lernaea and point to their potential ecological implications. Furthermore, the detection of an unidentified Lernaea species highlights the need for further taxonomic and molecular investigations to uncover hidden diversity within this parasitic genus. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Tor fish; Lernaea; Parasite distribution; Host-parasite interaction; Parasitic infestation | ||||
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