Metazoan parasite community of Leporinus piau Fowler, 1941 (Anostomidae, Characiformes), an endemic freshwater fish from the Caatinga domain, Brazil

Abstract

The present study aimed to inventory the parasitic fauna of Leporinus piau from the Lima Campos weir, Salgado River basin, municipality of Icó, Ceará, Brazil. A total of 35 host specimens were collected, whereas all were parasitized by at least two metazoan taxa. A total of 2,910 parasite specimens belonging to five taxonomic groups were identified such as: Myxozoa (Henneguya sp. 1 and Henneguya sp. 2), Monogenea (Jainus beccus, Jainus radixelongatus, Tereancistrum flabellum, Tereancistrum paranaensis, Tereancistrum parvus, Urocleidoides digitabulum, Urocleidoides paradoxus, Urocleidoides sp., Dactylogyridae gen. sp. 1, Dactylogyridae gen. sp. 2 and Dactylogyridae gen. sp. 3), Digenea (Diplostomum lunaschiae and Clinostomum sp.), Nematoda (Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) inopinatus) and Copepoda (Gamispatulus schizodontis). Seventeen parasite taxa were found, with the class Monogenea being the most abundant group. The main site of infestation was the gills, presenting 14 taxa, including myxozoans, monogeneans and digeneans. This study highlights seven new parasitic associations for the host and 16 for the studied locality, as well as new records of diversity indices for the parasitic taxa found. It was observed that the class Monogenea exhibited a broad diversity of species, contributing to the understanding of the distribution patterns of fish parasites in the Brazilian semiarid region.

Full text

An Acad Bras Cienc (2024) 96(Suppl. 3): e20240450 DOI 10.1590/0001-3765202420240450
Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências | Annals of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences
Printed ISSN 0001-3765 I Online ISSN 1678-2690
www.scielo.br/aabc | www.fb.com/aabcjournal
An Acad Bras Cienc (2024) 96(Suppl. 3)
Running title: METAZOAN
PARASITE COMMUNITY OF
Leporinus piau
Academy Section: ECOSYSTEMS
e20240450
96
(suppl. 3)
96(Suppl. 3)
DOI
10.1590/0001-3765202420240450
ECOSYSTEMS
Metazoan parasite community of
Leporinus piau Fowler, 1941 (Anostomidae,
Characiformes), an endemic freshwater
fish from the Caatinga domain, Brazil
WALLAS B.B. DE SOUSA, MARIA FERNANDA B.G. DINIZ, PRISCILLA O.F. YAMADA &
FÁBIO H. YAMADA
Abstract: The present study aimed to inventory the parasitic fauna of Leporinus piau
from the Lima Campos weir, Salgado River basin, municipality of Icó, Ceará, Brazil. A
total of 35 host specimens were collected, whereas all were parasitized by at least two
metazoan taxa. A total of 2,910 parasite specimens belonging to five taxonomic groups
were identified such as: Myxozoa (Henneguya sp. 1 and Henneguya sp. 2), Monogenea
(Jainus beccus, Jainus radixelongatus, Tereancistrum flabellum, Tereancistrum
paranaensis, Tereancistrum parvus, Urocleidoides digitabulum, Urocleidoides
paradoxus, Urocleidoides sp., Dactylogyridae gen. sp. 1, Dactylogyridae gen. sp. 2 and
Dactylogyridae gen. sp. 3), Digenea (Diplostomum lunaschiae and Clinostomum sp.),
Nematoda (Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) inopinatus) and Copepoda (Gamispatulus
schizodontis). Seventeen parasite taxa were found, with the class Monogenea being
the most abundant group. The main site of infestation was the gills, presenting 14
taxa, including myxozoans, monogeneans and digeneans. This study highlights seven
new parasitic associations for the host and 16 for the studied locality, as well as new
records of diversity indices for the parasitic taxa found. It was observed that the class
Monogenea exhibited a broad diversity of species, contributing to the understanding of
the distribution patterns of fish parasites in the Brazilian semiarid region.
Key words: Anostomidae, Digenea, Copepoda, Monogenea, Myxozoa, Nematoda.
INTRODUCTION
Parasitism is one of the most successful life forms
on the planet and occurs virtually throughout
the food chain, encompassing all trophic levels
(De León et al. 2002). Fish are the vertebrates
that exhibit the highest rates of parasitism
(Luque & Poulin 2007), as they are a group that
has lived for a long time in close association
with various groups of invertebrates; therefore,
they possess not only the greatest quantity but
also the greatest variety of parasites compared
to any other vertebrate (Thatcher 2006, Lehun et
al. 2020).
According to Takemoto et al. (2009), to
understand the role of the parasite community
in an ecosystem, it is essential to have prior
knowledge of the species composition of
parasites. Taxonomic and systematic approaches
are fundamental to understanding how biotic
and abiotic factors affect species. Therefore,
understanding the effects on a population is
not feasible without specific knowledge of the
ecological interactions (Lehun et al. 2020, Diniz
et al. 2022).
The Anostomidae family stands out as one
of the most representative within the order
Characiformes, comprising 15 genera and about

WALLAS B.B. DE SOUSA et al. METAZOAN PARASITE COMMUNITY OF Leporinus piau
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162 valid species (Gimênes Jr. & Rech 2022,
Froese & Pauly 2023). Leporinus Agassiz, 1829
is one of the most diverse genera in the order
Characiformes, distributed between Central
America and southern South America (Géry 1977,
Sidlauskas et al. 2022, Sousa et al. 2024), being
the richest in number of species within the
Anostomidae family, with approximately 86 valid
species (Froese & Pauly 2023).
The species Leporinus piau Fowler, 1941,
commonly known as “Piau gordura” or “Piau” is
an endemic fish from the northeastern region
of Brazil (Britski et al. 1984, Botero et al. 2023),
widely distributed throughout the rivers and
weirs of the Caatinga domain, from the São
Francisco basin to the Parnaíba River basin
(Rosa et al. 2003, Filho et al. 2012, Araújo et al.
2016, Feitosa & Rezende 2020, Sousa et al. 2022,
2023). However, studies have shown records of
this species in the state of Minas Gerais, in the
southeastern region of Brazil (Padilha et al. 2013,
Nascimento et al. 2020). It is a medium-sized fish
characterized by three horizontally elongated
spots on its sides, along with lateral stripes
that have faded spots along its body (Britski et
al. 1984, Botero et al. 2023). It demonstrates an
omnivorous and highly adaptable feeding habit
(Santos 1982), consuming available or most
abundant food resources in the environment
(Montenegro et al. 2010, Silva-Filho et al. 2012).
Despite the high biodiversity of freshwater
fish in Brazil, research on their parasites is notably
incipient and lacks proper prioritization (Eiras
1994, Pavanelli et al. 2008). The genus Leporinus
has records of parasite species from various
groups, such as Myxozoa, Monogenea, Digenea,
Nematoda, Acanthocephala and Crustacea (Eiras
et al. 2010, Pavanelli et al. 2013, Lehun et al. 2020,
Negreiros et al. 2021). However, the species L.
piau is still poorly studied compared to other
congeners (Eiras et al. 2010, Sousa et al. 2023),
with the study by Sousa et al. (2023) providing
the first record of the parasitic community of
this species.
The present study contributes to the
advancement of knowledge on fish parasites in
the Caatinga domain by providing an analysis of
the community of metazoan parasites of L. piau
in a new locality. Additionally, the data obtained
can serve as a basis for future research on the
ecology and biology of parasites in L. piau,
as well as for comparative studies with other
congeners. The research may also have practical
implications for biodiversity conservation and
the management of fishery resources in the
Caatinga domain. In this context, the present
study aimed to study the metazoan parasite
community of L. piau in a freshwater ecosystem
of Caatinga domain, Brazil.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The present study was carried out at the Lima
Campos weir, Salgado River basin, municipality
of Icó, Ceará state, Brazil (6°23ʹ43” S, 38°58ʹ10”W)
(Figure 1). A total of 35 specimens of L. piau were
collected using fishing rod from July 2022 to July
2023, with a standard length ranging from 5.7
to 19.5 cm. The fish were stored individually in
plastic bags to avoid cross contamination and
frozen afterward.
The fish collection was authorized under
a Permanent License for the Collection of
Zoological Material (SISBIO #61328-1). All animal
procedures were performed in full compliance
with the Ethics Committee for Animal
Experimentation (CEUA/ protocols #00165/2018.1)
of the Universidade Regional do Cariri (URCA),
Ceará state, Brazil. Taxonomic identification
of the host followed Britski et al. (1988). The
parasitological procedures and host necropsy
process followed methodology proposed by
Eiras et al. (2006). The parasite identification
followed Thatcher (2006), Moravec (1998) and

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Cohen et al. (2013) as well as articles describing
species. The ecological descriptors (prevalence,
mean intensity and mean abundance) of each
parasite component community were performed
according to Bush et al. (1997).
RESULTS
All host specimens analyzed were parasitized by
at least two metazoan taxa. A total of 2.910 parasite
specimens belonging to five taxonomic groups
(Myxozoa, Monogenea, Digenea, Nematoda, and
Copepoda) were identified (Table I). Seventeen
parasite taxa were found, with the Monogenea
class being the taxonomic group that presented
the highest number of species. The main site
of infestation were the gills, where 14 different
parasite taxa were found, including myxozoans,
monogeneans, and digeneans.
DISCUSSION
Previous studies until 2017, have shown that
the genus Leporinus harbored approximately
75 species of parasites (Domingues & Boeger
2005, Thatcher 2006, Kohn et al. 2007, 2011,
Takemoto et al. 2009, Azevedo et al. 2010, Eiras
et al. 2010, Luque et al. 2011, Cohen et al. 2013,
Luque et al. 2013, Pavanelli et al. 2013, Ramos
et al. 2013, Capodifoglio et al. 2015, Dias et al.
2017, Silva et al. 2017, Martins et al. 2017, Oliveira
et al. 2017a, b, Zago et al. 2017). Afterward, a
taxonomic revision of the genus Leporinus
proposed by Ramirez et al. (2017) and Birindelli
et al. (2020) resulted in the reclassification of
several species to the genera Megaleporinus
Ramirez, Birindelli & Galetti Jr. 2017 and
Hypomasticus, Borodin, 1929, respectively. This
reassignment led to a significant reduction in
Figure 1. Sampling area in the Lima Campos weir, in the municipality of Icó, southeastern of Ceará state, Brazil.

WALLAS B.B. DE SOUSA et al. METAZOAN PARASITE COMMUNITY OF Leporinus piau
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the number of host species originally attributed
to the genus, decreasing to 57 species. Recently,
with additional contributions from Oliveira et
al. (2020, 2021), Vasconcelos et al. (2020), Zago
et al. (2020), Cárdenas et al. (2022), Sousa et
al. (2022, 2023) and Yamada et al. (2023), the
number of parasite species associated with the
genus Leporinus was raised again to a total of 73
species. However, this number underestimates
the true parasitic diversity associated with these
fish, due to several records of parasites identified
only to the genus or family level (Eiras et al. 2010,
Luque et al. 2011, Pavanelli et al. 2013, Lehun
et al. 2020). This knowledge gap highlights the
complexity and still poorly explored diversity of
parasitic interactions in freshwater fishes from
the Neotropical region.
Among the endoparasites registered in
the present study, the myxozoans were the
most abundant. According to Kent et al. (2001)
Table I. Metazoan parasite community of Leporinus piau Fowler, 1941 collected in the Lima Campos weir, Salgado
River basin, municipality of Icó, Ceará state, Brazil. Total abundance (TA), mean abundance (MA), mean intensity
(MI), standard error (SE), amplitude (AP), prevalence (P (%)), number of infected fish (NI), and site of infection/
infestation (SI).
Parasites TA MA±SE MI±SE AP P (%) NI SI
Myxozoa
Henneguya sp. 1
(cyst-like plasmodia) 54 1.54±0.51 3.6±1.05 1-14 42.86 15 Gills
Henneguya sp. 2
(cyst-like plasmodia) 149 4.26±2.95 16.56±10.86 1-103 25.71 9 Gills
Monogenea
Jainus beccus 772 22.06±3,63 22.71±3,68 1-106 97.14 34 Gills
Jainus radixelongatus 6 0.17±0,06 1±0 1 17.14 6 Gills
Tereancistrum flabellum 2 0.06±0.04 1±0 1 5.71 2 Gills
Tereancistrum paranaensis 167 4.77±0.97 5.39±1.05 1-31 88.57 31 Gills
Tereancistrum parvus 144 4.11±0.6 4.65±0.61 1-15 88.57 31 Gills
Urocleidoides digitabulum 1 0.03±0.03 1±- 1 2.86 1 Gills
Urocleidoides paradoxus 636 18.17±2.52 18.71±2.54 1-52 97.14 34 Gills
Urocleidoides sp. 331 9.46±1.34 10.03±1.36 2-37 94.14 33 Gills
Dactylogyridae gen. sp. 1 64 1.83±0.39 2.67±2.37 1-11 68.57 24 Gills
Dactylogyridae gen. sp. 2 375 10.71±2.49 11.36±2.6 1-80 94.29 33 Gills
Dactylogyridae gen. sp. 3 112 3.2±0.76 4.48±0.96 1-19 71.43 24 Gills
Digenea
Diplostomum lunaschiae (metacercariae) 83 2.37±1.09 9.22±3.44 2-35 25.71 9 Eyes
Clinostomum sp. (metacercariae) 3 0.09±0.05 1±0 1 8.27 3 Gills
Nematoda
Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus)
inopinatus10 0.29±0.18 3.33±1.2 1-5 8.27 3 Stomach
Copepoda
Gamispatulus schizodontis 1 0.03±0.03 1±- 1 2.86 1 Nostrils

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and Adriano et al. (2002), among endoparasite
Henneguya spp. are the most common species
found in both freshwater and marine fish.
The spores of Henneguya Thélohan, 1892 are
characterized by ellipsoidal or rounded shape,
with two polar capsules in the suture plane and
the presence of two caudal appendices on the
spores, these structures representing extensions
of the valves on the posterior part of the spore
(Lom & Dyková 2006).
To date, nine species of Henneguya have
been described parasitizing anostomids
(Pavanelli et al. 2013, Capodifoglio et al. 2015).
Currently, only two species have been recorded in
the genus Leporinus: Henneguya caudicula Eiras,
Takemoto & Pavanelli, 2008, and Henneguya
friderici Casal, Matos & Azevedo, 2003 (Casal et
al. 2003, Eiras et al. 2008). Regarding the species
L. piau, in the study by Sousa et al. (2023), an
unidentified species of Henneguya was found.
The present study records a new locality for this
genus of myxosporeans.
In the present study, some of the
monogeneans species exhibited higher levels of
infestation (see Table I). These findings could be
attributed to the parasite-host specificity that
some parasite species possess, making them
more adept at seeking an appropriate host
through refined chemical signals (Buchmann
& Lindenstrøm 2002). Furthermore, patterns of
interaction between parasite species, where one
parasitic species can impact the distribution and
abundance of others, may influence parasitic
indices (Poulin 2001).
Among the monogeneans, six species
of Jainus Mizelle, Kritsky & Crane, 1968 have
been described parasitizing fish of the family
Anostomidae: Jainus amazonensis Kritsky,
Thatcher & Kayton, 1980, Jainus beccus Yamada,
Müller, Zago, Yamada, Ebert, Franceschini &
Silva, 2023, Jainus leporini Abdallah, Azevedo &
Luque, 2012, Jainus ornatos Yamada, Müller, Zago,
Yamada, Ebert, Franceschini & Silva, 2023, Jainus
piava Karling, Bellay, Takemoto & Pavanelli,
2011, and Jainus radixelongatus Yamada, Müller,
Zago, Yamada, Ebert, Franceschini & Silva,
2023. From those, all were registered in fish of
the genus Leporinus (Dias et al. 2017, Lehun
et al. 2020, Yamada et al. 2023). Jainus beccus
and J. radixelongatus were previously found
parasitizing three species of Leporinus and
one of Megaleporinus (Yamada et al. 2023).
Furthermore, after analyzing the slides from
Sousa et al. (2023), it was found that the samples
previously cataloged as Jainus sp. are specimens
of J. beccus. Thus, the present study reports the
second occurrence of J. beccus and the first of J.
radixelongatus in L. piau.
To date, three monogenean species of
the genus Tereancistrum have been described
parasitizing fish of the family Anostomidae
(Oliveira et al. 2020), being that two of them are
registered in species of the genus Leporinus:
Tereancistrum flabellum Zago, Yamada,
Franceschini, Bongiovani, Yamada & Silva, 2017,
and Tereancistrum parvus Kritsky, Thatcher &
Kayton, 1980 (Guidelli et al. 2006, Zago et al.
2017). The species T. flabellum was previously
described parasitizing three species of Leporinus
and one of Megaleporinus (Zago et al. 2017).
On the other hand, the species T. parvus has
records parasitizing three species of Leporinus,
four of Megaleporinus, and two of Schizodon
(Pavanelli et al. 2013, Acosta et al. 2016, Lehun
et al. 2020, Negreiros et al. 2021). The present
study reports the first occurrence of these two
species of parasite in L. piau and expands the
knowledge of their geographical distributions.
Tereancistrum paranaensis Karling, Lopes,
Takemoto & Pavanelli 2014, has records in four
species of anostomids (Abdallah et al. 2016,
Lehun et al. 2020, Oliveira et al. 2020), among
which two belonged to the genus Leporinus
(Wendt et al. 2015, Martins et al. 2017). However,

WALLAS B.B. DE SOUSA et al. METAZOAN PARASITE COMMUNITY OF Leporinus piau
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after the studies by Ramirez et al. (2017),
these hosts were reclassified in the genus
Megaleporinus. Therefore, the present study
records T. paranaensis as a parasite of the
genus Leporinus, increasing from four to five
host species.
Twelve species of Urocleidoides have been
described parasitizing anostomids fish, among
them, seven were recorded in Leporinus spp.:
Urocleidoides aimarai Moreira, Scholz & Luque,
2015, Urocleidoides cuiabai Rosim, Mendoza-
Franco & Luque, 2011, Urocleidoides digitabulum
Zago, Yamada, Yamada, Franceschini, Bongiovani
& Silva, 2020, Urocleidoides eremitus Kritsky,
Thatcher & Boeger, 1986, Urocleidoides
paradoxus Kritsky, Thatcher & Boeger, 1986,
Urocleidoides sinus Zago, Yamada, Yamada,
Franceschini, Bongiovani & Silva, 2020, and
Urocleidoides solarivaginatus Zago, Yamada,
Yamada, Franceschini, Bongiovani & Silva, 2020
(Guidelli et al. 2006, Dias et al. 2017, Oliveira et
al. 2020, Zago et al. 2020, Ebert et al. 2024). The
species U. digitabulum was previously described
parasitizing two species of Leporinus and one of
Megaleporinus (Zago et al. 2020). On the other
hand, the species U. paradoxus has records
parasitizing two species of Leporinus, four of
Megaleporinus, one of Rhytiodus, and two of
Schizodon (Pavanelli et al. 2013, Lehun et al.
2020, Oliveira et al. 2020, Negreiros et al. 2021,
Hasuike et al. 2024). Sousa et al. (2023) identified
two representatives of the genus parasitizing
gills of L. piau from the Cumbé weir, municipality
of Barro, Ceará state, Brazil. The present study
records a new locality for this genus, as well as
reporting for the first time the occurrence of U.
digitabulum and U. paradoxus.
The genus Urocleidoides Mizelle & Price,
1964 accommodated only those monogenean
species that possessed a vaginal sclerite in
the medial region of their body (Kritsky et al.
1986). Neto & Domingues (2023), pointed out
that not all species of Urocleidoides possess a
vaginal sclerite. In other words, representatives
lacking this diagnostic feature can only have
their identity confirmed through molecular
analyses. One species of Urocleidoides could
not be identified in the present study due to the
lack of morphological similarity with any of the
species previously described for the genus. The
identification difficulty encountered in this study
is a common issue in research on the parasitic
biodiversity of fish, where monogeneans are often
classified only at the genus level (Dias et al. 2017,
Lehun et al. 2020, Sousa et al. 2022). Moreover,
the frequent description of new Urocleidoides
species in recent studies, such as those by Zago
et al. (2020), Freitas et al. (2021), and Hasuike et
al. (2024), highlighted the constant expansion
of knowledge about this genus. These facts
emphasize the ongoing importance of taxonomic
research for a comprehensive understanding of
parasitic diversity.
Several species belonging to the family
Dactylogyridae have been recorded in Leporinus
spp. (Takemoto et al. 2009, Pavanelli et al.
2013, Dias et al. 2017, Zago et al. 2020, Yamada
et al. 2023). However, it is important to note
that, despite research efforts, unidentified
dactylogyrids still exist in various studies, as
seen in the works of Martins et al. (2017), Yamada
et al. (2017) and Sousa et al. (2023). In the present
study, three taxa of unidentified dactylogyrids
were recorded, these results highlighting the
complexity and the still not fully understood
diversity of this group of fish parasites in the
genus Leporinus.
In freshwater fish, metacercariae of different
species are common, mainly from the families
Diplostomidae Poirier, 1886 (Luque 2004,
Takemoto et al. 2009, Lehun et al. 2020). Evans
et al. (1976) mentioned that the presence of 40
metacercariae per eye can result in cataracts
or blindness, depending on the size of the fish.

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Additionally, they can debilitate their host due
to migration through the body until reaching the
eyes (Thatcher 2006).
Diplostomum lunaschiae Locke, Drago,
Núñez, Rangel, Souza & Takemoto, 2020 was
the first species of this genus identified in
fish of the family Anostomidae (Sousa et al.
2022); previously, only individuals identified as
Diplostomum sp. had been reported (Guidelli
et al. 2006, Takemoto et al. 2009, Lehun et al.
2020). The present study records a new locality
for this digenetic species and corroborates its
association with anostomids host specie
To date, two species of Clinostomum have
been recorded in species of the genus Leporinus
in neotropics: Clinostomum complanatum
(Rudolphi, 1814) and Clinostomum marginatum
(Rudolphi, 1819) (Guidelli et al. 2011, Oliveira et al.
2017b). This study reports the first occurrence of
this genus in L. piau and expands the knowledge
of its geographical distributions.
Among the nematodes recorded in
anostomids, five species are the Procamallanus,
being that four are classified under the
subgenus Spirocamallanus Moravec & Thatcher,
1997 (Luque et al. 2011, Silva et al. 2017). These
helminths species include: Procamallanus
(Spirocamallanus) amarali Vaz & Pereira, 1934,
Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) iheringi
Travassos, Artigas & Pereira, 1928, Procamallanus
(Spirocamallanus) inopinatus Travassos,
Artigas & Pereira, 1929, and Procamallanus
(Spirocamallanus) saofranciscensis (Moreira,
Oliveira & Costa, 1994) (Eiras et al. 2010, Silva et
al. 2017). Procamallanus (S.) inopinatus has been
recorded parasitizing 18 species of anostomids,
six of which belong to the genus Leporinus
(Eiras et al. 2010, Luque et al. 2011, Lehun et al.
2020, Negreiros et al. 2021). Moreira et al. (1994)
were the first to report the presence of P. (S.)
inopinatus in L. piau. Subsequently, Sousa et
al. (2023) also identified the occurrence of this
nematode in L. piau from Cumbe weir, Ceará
state, Brazil. Carvalho et al. (2022) documented
the first occurrence of P. (S.) inopinatus
in Tetragonopterus argenteus Cuvier, 1816
(Characidae) from the Lima Campos weir.
Among the crustaceans parasitic of
nostrils of freshwater fish, copepods of the
genus Gamispatulus harbors only two species,
Gamispatulus ferrilongus Narciso & Silva,
2020 and Gamispatulus schizodontis Thatcher
& Boeger 1984, which have been recorded in
various fish of the family Anostomidae (Pavanelli
et al. 2013, Narciso & Silva 2020). The species G.
schizodontis has been reported parasitizing five
species of Leporinus, one of Megaleporinus, and
three of Schizodon (Eiras et al. 2010, Lehun et
al. 2020, Narciso & Silva 2020, Sousa et al. 2023).
Sousa et al. (2023) reported the first occurrence
of this parasite in L. piau from Cumbe weir, Ceará
state, Brazil. Thus, the present study records a
new locality for this parasite species.
In the present study, the main site of infection
or infestation was the gills, which can be mainly
attributed to the presence of several species of
monogeneans. The presence of these parasites
in the gills is primarily due to the presence of
attachment structures, which can cause direct
physical damage to the tissues (Thatcher 2006).
The gills are the main respiratory organ in fish,
playing an important role in nitrogen excretion
and ion balance (Takvam et al. 2023). Intense
infections in the gills can compromise the
functioning of this organ, negatively affecting
the development of the fish (Buchmann &
Bresciani 2006, Pavanelli et al. 2013).
It was observed that the class Monogenea
presented the highest number of species in the
analyzed host, recording 11 taxa. Other studies
conducted with Characiformes also demonstrate
this pattern for the Brazilian semiarid region,
where monogeneans exhibit greater species
diversity compared to other taxonomic groups,

WALLAS B.B. DE SOUSA et al. METAZOAN PARASITE COMMUNITY OF Leporinus piau
An Acad Bras Cienc (2024) 96(Suppl. 3) e20240450 8 | 12
especially endoparasites (Diniz et al. 2022, Sousa
et al. 2023, Silva et al. 2024).
Analyzing the study conducted by Sousa
et al. (2023) with 11 specimens of L. piau from
the Cumbe weir, located in the municipality of
Barro (Ceará, Brazil), a total of four taxonomic
groups were recorded: Myxozoa (Henneguya sp.),
Monogenea (J. beccus (= Jainus sp.), Urocleidoides
sp. 1, Urocleidoides sp. 2 and Dactylogyridae
gen. sp.), Nematoda (P. (S.) inopinatus), and
Copepoda (Ergasilus sp. and G. schizodontis).
When comparing the ecological descriptors,
the present study observed higher levels of
parasitism for J. beccus, Urocleidoides sp.,
Dactylogyridae gen. spp. and P. (S.) inopinatus,
in addition to a greater number of parasitic
taxa, possibly due to the higher number of hosts
analyzed.
However, G. schizodontis showed a low mean
abundance, mean intensity, and prevalence, with
variations in parasitic indices compared to the
study by Sousa et al. (2023). Therefore, the levels
of parasitism in fish are the result of patterns
that operate at different levels, as an ecological
factor responsible for the differences, requiring
a more integrated understanding of ecosystem
functioning (Cresson et al. 2023).
In summary, the richness of parasite
community of L. piau in the present study,
including seven new parasitic associations
for the host and 16 for the studied locality,
representing an important contribution to
the knowledge of the parasitic fauna of fish
in the Caatinga domain, Brazil. Furthermore,
there is the prospect of potential new taxa to
be described, which could significantly enrich
the understanding of the biodiversity of fish
parasites of freshwater fish from Caatinga
domain. These findings not only enhance our
understanding of parasitic biodiversity but also
underscore the importance of ongoing studies
for the comprehension and conservation of
aquatic ecosystems.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the Coordenação de
Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES) for
the scholarship granted to W.B.B.S. (#88887.704478/2022-
00), Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento
Científico e Tecnológico (FUNCAP) for the scholarship
granted to M.F.B.G.D. (BMD-0008-02422.01.09/23) and
P.O.F.Y. (FPD-0213-00301.01.01/23) and Conselho Nacional
de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for
the scholarship granted to P.O.F.Y. (151170/2022-3) and
F.H.Y. (304502/2022-7 and 174814/2023-2).
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YAMADA POF, MÜLLER MI, ZAGO AC, YAMADA FH, EBERT MB,
FRANCESCHINI L & SILVA RJ. 2023. Three new species of
Jainus (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) parasitizing gills of
Brazilian freshwater fishes supported by morphological
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ZAGO AC, YAMADA FH, FRANCESCHINI L, BONGIOVANI MF, YAMADA
POF & SILVA RJ. 2017. A new species of Tereancistrum
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Leporinus species (Characiformes, Anostomidae) and a
revised description of Tereancistrum parvus. An Acad
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ZAGO AC, YAMADA FH, YAMADA POF, FRANCESCHINI L,
BONGIOVANI MF & SILVA RJ. 2020. Seven new species
of Urocleidoides (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) from
Brazilian fishes supported by morphological and
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How to cite
SOUSA WBB, DINIZ MFBG, YAMADA POF & YAMADA FH. 2024. Metazoan
parasite community of Leporinus piau Fowler, 1941 (Anostomidae,
Characiformes), an endemic freshwater fish from the Caatinga
domain, Brazil. An Acad Bras Cienc 96: e20240450. DOI 10.1590/0001-
3765202420240450.
Manuscript received on May 9, 2024;
accepted for publication on August 24, 2024
WALLAS B.B. DE SOUSA
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5313-6126
MARIA FERNANDA B.G. DINIZ
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8171-2912
PRISCILLA O.F. YAMADA
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0072-3922
FÁBIO H. YAMADA
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3317-8799
Universidade Regional do Cariri (URCA), Programa de
Pós-Graduação em Diversidade Biológica (PPGDB),
Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Rua Coronel
Antônio Luíz, 1161, 63105-000 Crato, CE, Brazil
Correspondence to: Fabio Hideki Yamada
E-mail: fabio.yamada@urca.br
Author contributions
All authors contributed significantly to the development of
the research and writing of the manuscript. W.B.B.S., M.F.B.G.D.
and P.O.F.Y. contributed to the methodology, table and figure
development, and manuscript preparation. F.H.Y. contributed
to the writing and revision of the manuscript and supervised
the project.