PESQUISA DE PARASITOS EM BONITO-LISTRADO (Katsuwonus pelamis)

Abstract

In nature, fish live with parasites in balance. However, disturbances and environmental changes (usually associated with human action) can cause stress, reduced resistance, injuries and facilitate parasitic development. The skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) is a bony marine fish that forms a school. This fish inhabit tropical and subtropical seas, and are of great commercial importance. This study aimed to investigate the presence of parasitic contamination and identify the parasites, classifying them according to their zoonotic potential for humans. A total of 6 specimens were necropsied and the parasites were collected according to usual ichthyoparasitological techniques. Parasites were found in 4 of the 12 necropsied organs, namely: muscle, liver, intestine and stomach. A hundred percent of the infections occurred in the muscles and 66.6% in the liver of the analyzed fish. The parasites were identified as Trypanoryncha, Acantocephala and Anisakidae. The presence of parasites in the muscle of fish can represent a potential zoonotic risk to human health, mainly because it has great economic appeal and is widely used in the population's diet.