Contributo para o estudo parasitário do pescado selvagem da costa Atlântica : o caso da Sarda e do Carapau.

Dissertação de Mestrado em Engenharia Zootécnica.Este trabalho teve como objectivo a avaliação parasitária de duas espécies de peixes de grande importância comercial em Portugal, o carapau (Trachurus trachurus, famíla Carangidae) e a sarda (Scomber scombrus, família Escombridae). Para tal, com origem na lota da Figueira – da – Foz, no período compreendido entre 25 de Fevereiro a 24 de Junho de 2009, examinou-se um total de 38 exemplares, sendo 20 carapaus e 18 sardas. Procedeu-se à necrópsia parasitária destes, que incidiu sobre a pele, opérculos, brânquias e cavidade abdominal. Foram colhidos 1255 parasitas pertencentes a 6 grupos taxonómicos : conoidasídeos, tremátodos monogenéticos e digenéticos, acantocéfalos, nemátodos e crustáceos. Em ambas as espécies, T. trachurus (n=20) e em S. Scombrus (n=18) a prevalência parasitária foi de 100%. Quanto aos taxa mais presentes, constatou-se que no carapau, os nemátodos representaram 100% de prevalência, com uma intensidade parasitária média de 39.7 parasitas, sendo que na sarda, 72.2% estavam parasitadas, com uma intensidade parasitária de 15.8 parasitas. Os conoidasídeos estavam presentes em ambas as espécies de pescado, 85% dos exemplares de carapau e, 94.4% no caso da sarda. Este estudo deu um contributo para o conhecimento dos parasitas e da carga parasitária em T. trachurus e S. scombrus, sendo de realçar a presença de anisakídeos sob a forma larvar com importância em saúde pública.ABSTRACT: The aim this work was the evaluation of parasitic burden of two fish species of great commercial impotance in Portugal, the horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus, family Carangidae) and mackerel (Scomber scombris, family Escombridae). The fish was collected from the fish market of Figueira da Foz, during the period from February 25th to June 24th, 2009. Thirty eight samples were examined, 20 horse mackerel and 18 mackerel. We performed the autopsy of these parasites, which focused on the skin, cap, gills and abdominal cavity. 1255 parasites belonging to six taxonomic groups: conoidasidea, monogenetic and digenetic tremotodes, acanthocephala, nematodes and crustaceans were harvested in both spcies. T. trachurus (n=20) and S. scombrus (n=18) had a 100% parasite prevalence. It was found that the horse mackerel, the nematodes accounted for 100% prevalence, with mean parasitic intensity of 39.7 parasites, and for the mackerel, 72.2 were parasitised, with na intensity of infection of 15.8 parasites. Protozoa were present in both species of fish in 85% horse mackerel, and 94.4% for mackerel. This study hás contributed to the knowledge of parasites species and parasite burden, in T. trachurus and S. scombrus, and to highligth the presence of anisakid larval with public health importance

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved