Endohelminth parasites of the freshwater fish Zoogoneticus purhepechus (Cyprinodontiformes: Goodeidae) from two springs in the Lower Lerma River, Mexico

Abstract

In order to establish the helminthological record of the viviparous fish species Zoogoneticus purhepechus,
72 individuals were collected from 2 localities, La Luz spring (n= 45) and Los Negritos spring (n= 27), both in the
lower Lerma River, in Michoacán state, Mexico. Twelve helminth taxa were recovered, 5 adults (the digeneans
Margotrema bravoae and Phyllodistomum sp., the cestode Bothriocephalus acheilognathi, the nematode Rhabdochona
lichtenfelsi and the acanthocephalan Pomphorhynchus cf. bulbocolli), and 7 larvae (the metacercariae of Clinostomum
complanatum, the cysticercoid of Cyclophyllidea, the nematodes Rhabdochona sp., Eustrongylides sp., Contracaecum
sp. and Spiroxys sp., and the cysthacanth of Polymorphus brevis). Of these, R. lichtenfelsi was the most prevalent and
abundant species at La Luz spring with 15.6% and 0.33 individuals per analyzed host. The remaining species were
relatively more rare and infrequent. The helminth parasite community of Z. purhepechus at Los Negritos spring was
remarkably poor and abundance was very low. The omnivorous feeding habits, the position of the host species in the
food web, and the environmental characteristics of each locality are suggested as the main factors determining the
helminth parasite communities in this freshwater fish.