Helminths of freshwater fishes in the reservoir of the Hydroelectric Power Station of Itaipu, Paraná, Brazil

This study presents results from several expeditions in 1985, 1991-1995 and 2003 to the Medium Paraná River in the section that begins below the Itaipu Dam and ends at the trinational border of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, in the lotic and lentic zones of the reservoir of the Hydroelectric Power Station of “Itaipu Binacional” (localities Foz do Iguaçu, Santa Helena and Guaira). Ninety-eight species of freshwater fishes belonging to 22 families were examined for helminths. A host-parasite list based on Acanthocephala, Cestoda, Digenea, Monogenea and Nematoda collected from the region in question is provided. New host records are presented for Digenea and Nematoda. The Monogenea and Acanthocephala are being studied and will be published in a later paper, but are referred in the host-parasite list, in order to demonstrate the parasitism in the fishes of the reservoir. The results are compared with those presented by other authors from the Upper Paraná River.