title: Ecology of the Atlantic black skipjack Euthynnus alletteratus (Osteichthyes: Scombridae) in the western Mediterranean Sea inferred by parasitological analysis.
abstract: Between 2008 and 2011, the head of 150 Euthynnus alletteratus (Osteichthyes: Scombridae) caught inshore off the southeastern Iberian coast (western Mediterranean Sea) were examined for parasites. Two monogeneans, four didymozoid trematodes and four copepods were found. Parasite abundance showed a positive relationship with the annual sea surface temperature, except for Pseudocycnus appendiculatus, but negative with the sea depth (Capsala manteri, Neonematobothrium cf. kawakawa and Caligus bonito). Prevalences and mean abundances differed significantly among sampling areas, except for C. manteri, Oesophagocystis sp. 2 and Ceratocolax euthynni, and sampling years (Melanocystis cf. kawakawa, N.cf. kawakawa, P. appendiculatus and Unicolax collateralis). Results indicate that the parasite abundances of E. alletteratus in the western Mediterranean Sea depend mainly on regional environmental variables, which can show interannual variations. The presence of pelagic parasites, i.e. didymozoids and P. appendiculatus, could indicate that E. alletteratus migrates between inshore and offshore pelagic domains. The different parasite faunas reported in E. alletteratus populations from the western Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea appear to point out the geographical host isolation. These results suggest that E. alletteratus inhabiting the western Mediterranean Sea performs inshore-offshore small-scale migrations, and not transoceanic migrations between the western Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
authors.affiliation: Parassitologia e Malattie Parassitarie,Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria,Università di Sassari,via Vienna 2,07100 Sassari,Italy.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9334-283X
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mele
authors.affiliation: Statistical Modeling Ecology Group (SMEG),Departament de Estadística i Investigació Operativa,Universitat de València,C/ Doctor Moliner 50,46100 Burjassot,Spain.
authors.forename: M Grazia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Pennino
authors.affiliation: Parassitologia e Malattie Parassitarie,Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria,Università di Sassari,via Vienna 2,07100 Sassari,Italy.
authors.forename: M Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Piras
authors.affiliation: Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga,Instituto Español de Oceanografía,Puerto Pesquero s/n,29640 Fuengirola,Spain.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Macías
authors.affiliation: Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga,Instituto Español de Oceanografía,Puerto Pesquero s/n,29640 Fuengirola,Spain.
authors.forename: M José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gómez-Vives
authors.affiliation: Centre Oceanogràfic de les Balears,Instituto Español de Oceanografía,Moll de Ponent s/n,07015 Palma,Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alemany
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Zoología Marina,Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva,Parc Científic,Universitat de València,C/ Catedrático José Beltrán 2,46980 Paterna,Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Montero
authors.affiliation: Parassitologia e Malattie Parassitarie,Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria,Università di Sassari,via Vienna 2,07100 Sassari,Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garippa
authors.affiliation: Parassitologia e Malattie Parassitarie,Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria,Università di Sassari,via Vienna 2,07100 Sassari,Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9185-2791
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Merella
mesh_terms: D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D033342:Copepoda / Q000235:genetics; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000469:parasitology; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D010271:Parasites / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010473:Perciformes / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000502:physiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D014200:Trematoda / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification
keywords: Didymozoidae; Monogenea; Scombridae; migration; parasite Copepoda