Helminth communities of Xiphophorus malinche (Pisces: Poeciliidae), endemic freshwater fish from the Pánuco River, Hidalgo, Mexico

Abstract

A total of 141 highland swordtails, Xiphophorus malinche, were collected from 2 localities in the Pánucoriver drainage (Chicayotla and Malila) from Hidalgo, México. The parasite community structure of the 2 localitieswas examined and compared. Five taxa of helminths were recovered: 2 digeneans, adults of Paracreptotrema sp. andmetacercariae of Uvulifer sp.; an adult monogenean, Urocleidoides vaginoclastrum; an adult cestode, Bothriocephalusacheilognathi, and an adult nematode, Rhabdochona xiphophori. Among them, Ur. vaginoclastrum was the mostfrequent and abundant species. The remaining species were rare and found at low mean abundance. Only 2 species ofhelminth were found at both localities. The observed species richness, individual abundance, and diversity were low atcomponent community and infracommunity levels. Abundance of helminths and fish standard length were correlated.Uvulifer sp. was more abundant in small fish, but Ur. vaginoclastrum showed the opposite pattern, high abundancein larger fish. Differences observed in this study can be attributed to abiotic and biotic environmental factors resultingfrom the geographic separation of these localities during to the orogeny of the Sierra Madre Oriental that restrictedfish to isolated headwaters.