title: Metazoan parasites of Geophagus brasiliensis (Perciformes: Cichlidae) in Patos Lagoon, extreme south of Brazil.
abstract: This study has evaluated the parasitic fauna of 79 pearl cichlids (Geophagus brasiliensis) from the estuary of Patos Lagoon (31° 57' S and 52° 06' W), Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, during the months of May and June in 2011 and 2012. All the hosts analyzed were infected with at least one species of parasite. A total of eleven metazoa were identified in 459 specimens collected. The trematode Austrodiplostomum compactum (34.2%) and ergasilids Ergasilus lizae (32.9%) and Gauchergasilus lizae (32.9%) were the most prevalent species. The trematodes Thometrema overstreeti and Posthodiplostomum sp. had significantly higher prevalence in fish longer than 20 cm. The sex of the host had no effect on parasite prevalence and abundance. Pearl cichlids are registered as a new host for the trematodes Lobatostoma sp., Homalometron pseudopallidum and Thometrema overstreeti, for the ergasilids Ergasilus lizae and Gauchergasilus euripedesi and for the argulid Argulus spinolosus. The crustacean E. lizae is recorded in Rio Grande do Sul for the first time.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia e Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Gabriela Lopes
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Rassier
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia e Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Tatiana Cheuiche
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Pesenti
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Biologia de Parasitos de Organismos Aquáticos, Fundação Universidade Federal de Rio Grande, Rio Grande, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Joaber
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pereira Júnior
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia e Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Diego Silva
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Emília Welter
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Wendt
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Cassandra de Moraes
authors.initials: Cde M
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia e Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maria Elizabeth Aires
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Berne
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D023681:Cichlids / Q000469:parasitology*; D003445:Crustacea; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*