Macroparasites of Blue Hake Antimora rostrata and Pacific Flatnose Antimora microlepis (Gadiformes, Moridae): Current State of Exploration

Abstract

Fishes of the genus Antimora Günther, 1878 (Gadiformes: Moridae) are cosmopolitan in the World Ocean. They play an important role in the functioning of marine ecosystems and are considered as potentially valuable for commercial fisheries. Studying their infection is an adequate step to expand our knowledge of the life history of these species. In this paper, we review all available data on infection of the both species of the genus Antimora. The published data on macroparasites of blue hake Antimora rostrata Günther, 1878 and Pacific flatnose Antimora microlepis Bean, 1890 are limited and fragmented. However, all the main systematic groups of worms are represented: trematodes, nematodes, cestodes, monogeneans, and acanthocephalans, as well as two groups of crustaceans – Copepoda and Isopoda. The largest amount of parasitological data has been obtained for A. rostrata from the North Atlantic. The list of parasites of these species includes both cosmopolitan species with the low level of host specificity, such as the copepode Sphyrion lumpi, and quite rare species, such as the monogenea Choricotyle oregonensis, almost all collections of which are related to Antimora catches. The total number of recorded species and parasitic organisms not identified to the species level is 32 for A. rostrata and 15 for A. microlepis, respectively. Further thorough investigation of these species will provide new data on the biodiversity and geographical distribution of macroparasites in marine ecosystems.

Keywords

• parasites
• moridae
• antimora rostrata
• antimora microlepis