Report of Sparicotyle (Microcotyle) chrysophrii Van Beneden and Hesse 1863, Atrispinum seminalis Euzet and Maillard 1973 and Polylabris tubicirrus Paperna and Kohn 1964 (Monogenea) on captive sea bream (Sparus aurata) and sharp snout sea bream (Diplodus puntazzo) in coastal Greece and Italy

Abstract

During the years 2000-2003, caged gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) and sharp snout sea bream (Diplodus puntazzo C.) from two farms in Greece and two farms in Italy (the Central Thyrrenian Sea) were examined. Sparus aurata from Greece was moderately infected with Furnestinia echeneis and Sparicotyle chrysophrii. Diplodus puntazzo from the Greek farms were infected with three polyopisthocotylean monogeneans: Atrispinum salpae, A. seminalis and S. chrysophrii. In Italy, on the gills of cultivated S. aurata, a polyopisthocotylean parasite was identified as Polylabris tubicirrus which is considered host specific and only affecting breams of the genus Diplodus. Furthermore, D. puntazzo and S. aurata showed the transfer of the monogenean S. chrysophrii from S. aurata (its type host) to D. puntazzo which is never found infected in wild conditions by this parasite. The presence of these parasites, and in particular S. chrysophrii in cultured D. puntazzo, is an important finding for aquaculturists in terms of potential disease problems.