Helmintofauna de <i>Opisthonema libertate</i> y <i>Harengula thrissina</i> (Osteichthyes: Clupeidae) de la bahía de Chamela, Jalisco, México

Abstract

We collected helminths from the “sardines” Harengula thrissina (N=61) and Opisthonema libertate (n=43), from Chamela Bay, Jalisco State, Mexico (12 and six species, respectively). The nematode Pseudoterranova sp., reached the highest values of prevalence and mean abundance in O. libertate (11.6% and 0.13 worms per host, respectively), while in H. thrissina the digenean Parahemiurus merus reached a prevalence of 49.1% and a mean abundance of 1.40 worms per host. Low similarity values (qualitative and quantitative) between helminths of both host species is a result of their opportunistic feeding habits (100% of the parasitic species in H. thrissina and 66% of those from O. libertate infect their host from prey) and differential exposure to helminth larvae.