title: [Metazoan parasites of the pearl cichlid, Geophagus brasiliensis (Quoy and Gaimard, 1824) (Osteichthyes: Cichlidae) from the Lajes Reservoir, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil].
abstract: During May 2002 and January 2003, 65 specimens of pearl cichlid, Geophagus brasiliensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824), collected from the Lajes Reservoir, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (22 degrees 42'-22 degrees 50'S, 43 degrees 53' -44 degrees 05'W), were necropsied to study their infracommunities of metazoan parasites. Fifty three fishes (81.5%) were parasitized by one or more metazoan. Six species of parasites were collected. The hirudinean Glossiphonid not identified was the majority (60%) of the parasite specimens collected and was the dominant species, with highest abundance and prevalence. The parasites of G. brasiliensis showed the typical aggregated pattern of distribution. No species of parasites of the pearl cichlid had correlation between the host's total length and parasite prevalence and abundance. The sex of hosts did not influence prevalence and abundance of any parasite species. The mean of Berger- Parker's index of dominance was 0.77 +/- 0.38. The mean species diversity in the infracommunities of G. brasiliensis was H = 0.154 +/- 0.06, with no correlation with the host's total length. The parasite community of G. brasiliensis from Lajes Reservoir is characterized by the low species richness and diversity.
authors.affiliation: UFRRJ, Instituto de Veterinária, Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Caixa Postal 74508, CEP: 23890-970, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aline R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Paraguassú
authors.forename: Dimitri R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Luque
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D023681:Cichlids / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D005618:Fresh Water; D008297:Male