SEARCH FOR PARASITES IN THE FISHES IN THE MASSACIUCCOLI BASIN (TUSCANY, CENTRAL ITALY)

INTRODUCTION The water district Massaciuccoli is an eutrophic coastal basin located in the provinces of Lucca and Pisa (Tuscany) and includes the lake, the marsh and the reclaimed areas with their network of drainage channels. The fish fauna has shown a progressive increase of introduced species to the disadvantage of the species evolutionarily originated in the basin¹. AIM The purpose of this study, which was granted as a PRIN (2008), was to detect the presence of parasites of the fishes in the water district of Massaciuccoli, an area never investigated so far, and the eventual presence of Opisthorchis felineus². MATERIALS AND METHODS In the years 2010-2012, 381 fishes were captured in the basin and analysed at the Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa. 147 fishes were carps (Cyprinus carpio), 103 goldfishes (Carassius auratus), 32 rudds (Scardinius erythrophthalmus), 31 black catfishes (Ictalurus melas), 20 triottos (Rutilus erythrophthalmus), 15 pumpkinseeds (Lepomis gibbosus), 13 stone morokos (Pseudorasbora parva), 9 black basses (Micropterus salmoides), 7 grey mullets (Liza ramada) and 4 Italian bleaks (Alburnus alburnus albidus). Skin, eyes, gills, digestive system, liver, bladder and kidneys of each fish were examined with optical and stereo microscope for the presence of ecto and endoparasites, which were classified according to keys³. The research of Opistorchis felineus was carried out by a compression and a digestive technique of two lateral muscles of the fishes. RESULTS 192 fishes (prevalence 50.4%, 95% Confidence Interval 45.4-55.4) were infected. 92 (24,2% CI 19.8-28.4) among them presented multiple infections. 132 fishes (34.6% CI 29.9-39.4) presented only ectoparasites on skin and gills, 20 (5,2% CI 3.0-7.5) only endoparasites in the intestine, liver or kidneys and 40 fishes (10.5% CI 7.4-13.6) presented mixed infections. The most frequent parasites were Trichodina spp (prevalence 18.6%), Trichodinella spp (15.0%) and Dactylogirus vastator (18.9%). Details are in the table below. CONCLUSIONS The fishes of the basin, especially carps, goldfishes and catfishes, are often used for aquaculture and for sportive fishing and therefore their parasites may be introduced into other water districts. Some times these fishes are eaten in spite of prohibitions, so that more attention to the parasitological fauna of the fishes in Massaciuccoli could be important O. felineus was not found in any fish examined. REFERENCES 1 Chelucci L., 2005 Thesis, University of Pisa, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences, Pisa, 150pp. 2 Rivolta S.,1884 On a new species of flukes in cats and dogs. Giornale di Anatomia, Fisiologia e Patologia Animale 16 (1), 20-28. 3 Moravec F., 1994 Parasitic Nematodes of Freshwater Fishes of Europe. Academia, Prague, and Kluwer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 473 pp