The use of marine fish parasites as biological tags

Abstract

A study was carried out on the parasites of commercial fishes of the South China Sea, mainly from the coastal waters of Terengganu. The host fishes examined were Lutjanidae, Serranidae, Nemipteridae, Carangidae, Priacanthidae and Mullidae. The parasites found were the nematodes (Anisakis sp., Camallanus sp., Raphidascaroides sp., Philometra sp., Neogoezia sp., and Contracaecum sp.), monogeneans (six Microcotyle sp., Diplectanum sp., Ancyrocephalus sp., Benedenia sp. and Bicotyle sp.), copepod (Caligus sp.), isoped (Aega sp.), and a digenean (Didymozoon sp.). Two of these species, Philome tra sp. and Didymozoon sp., are common and easy to locate. Philometra sp. are found coiled in white nodules on the dorsal fin of Nemipterus sp. Didymozoon sp. are found as yellow cysts on the dorsal fin and in the branchial cavity of Priacanthus sp. These two parasites are therefore potential biological tags and their usefulness in following the migration and spawning of fish is discussed.