MONOGENEANS FROM MARINE RANCHED FISHES OF TONGYEONG, KOREA

Abstract

Monogeneans (Platyhelminthes) are ectoparasites, frequently encountered with severe infection in cultured and farmed fishes around the world. But, the identification of monogeneans is difficult and also the studies on monogeneans are few in Korea. In Tongyeong, southern part of Korea, some of marine ranched fishes collected were encountered with the infection of following monogeneans. All ranched fishes are commercially important. The encountered monogeneans are: (i) Anoplodiscus spari (Yamaguti, 1958) (Anoplodiscidae) from the fins and body surface of blackhead seabream Acanthopagrus schlegelii schlegelii (Bleeker) (ii) A. tai Ogawa, 1994 from the fins of red seabream Pagrus major (Temminck & Schlegel) (iii) Benedenia hoshinai Ogawa, 1984 (Capsalidae) from the fins and body surface of rockbream Oplegnathus fasciatus (Temminck & Schlegel) (iv) B. sekii (Yamaguti, 1937), Meserve, 1938 from the body surface of P. major (v) Bivagina tai (Yamaguti, 1938) (Microcotylidae) from the gills of P. major (vi) Choricotyle elongata (Goto, 1894) (Diclidophoridae) from the gills of P. major. All reported monogeneans are having high host-specificity towards their fishes. Severe infection need to be studied in detail to prevent diseases in fish farms and also its imperative to study the life cycle of these monogeneans in order to develop biological control methods. Korea. In Tongyeong, southern part of Korea, some of marine ranched fishes collected were encountered with the infection of following monogeneans. All ranched fishes are commercially important. The encountered monogeneans are: (i) Anoplodiscus spari (Yamaguti, 1958) (Anoplodiscidae) from the fins and body surface of blackhead seabream Acanthopagrus schlegelii schlegelii (Bleeker) (ii) A. tai Ogawa, 1994 from the fins of red seabream Pagrus major (Temminck & Schlegel) (iii) Benedenia hoshinai Ogawa, 1984 (Capsalidae) from the fins and body surface of rockbream Oplegnathus fasciatus (Temminck & Schlegel) (iv) B. sekii (Yamaguti, 1937), Meserve, 1938 from the body surface of P. major (v) Bivagina tai (Yamaguti, 1938) (Microcotylidae) from the gills of P. major (vi) Choricotyle elongata (Goto, 1894) (Diclidophoridae) from the gills of P. major. All reported monogeneans are having high host-specificity towards their fishes. Severe infection need to be studied in detail to prevent diseases in fish farms and also its imperative to study the life cycle of these monogeneans in order to develop biological control methods.