RHABDOCHONA (RHABDOCHONA) ACUMINATA (NEMATODA) IN FISHES (CHARACIFORMES, ACESTRORHYNCHIDAE) FROM THE TRÊS MARIAS RESERVOIR, UPPER SÃO FRANCISCO RIVER, BRAZIL

Rhabdochona (Rhabdochona) acuminata (Molin, 1860) (Rhabdochonidae) parasitizes the intestine of several species of fish and it has a broad geographical distribution. The present study is the first to report adult specimens of this helminth in Acestrorhynchus britskii Menezes, 1969 and Acestrorhynchus lacustris Lütken, 1875 (Acestrorhynchidae), collected in the Três Marias reservoir, upper São Francisco River, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. At the same locality, Rhabdochona sp. larvae were found in sympatric populations of forage fishes, Tetragonopterus chalceus Spix & Agassiz, 1829 and Triportheus guentheri (Garman, 1890) which are potential prey to the piscivorous Acestrorhynchids and they are mentioned as possible intermediate or paratenic hosts of this parasite species. The parasite indices of R. acuminata were not influenced by either sex or total length of these piscivorous hosts.Rhabdochona (Rhabdochona) acuminata (Molin, 1860) (Rhabdochonidae) parasita o intestino de várias espécies de peixes e apresenta uma ampla distribuição geográfica. O presente estudo registra pela primeira vez a ocorrência de espécimes adultos deste helminto em Acestrorhynchus britskii Menezes, 1969 e Acestrorhynchus lacustris Lütken, 1875 (Acestrorhynchidae), coletados no Reservatório de Três Marias, Alto Rio São Francisco, Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Nesta mesma localidade, larvas de Rhabdochona sp. foram encontradas em peixes forrageiros simpátricos, Tetragonopterus chalceus Spix & Agassiz, 1829 e Triportheus guentheri (Garman, 1890) potenciais presas dos acestrorhynchídeos piscívoros e relacionadas como possíveis hospedeiros intermediários ou paratênicos dessa espécie de parasito. Os índices parasitários de R. acuminata não foram influenciados pelo sexo e nem pelo comprimento total desses hospedeiros piscívoros

Digenea of Hoplias intermedius and Hoplias malabaricus (Actinopterygii, Erythrinidae) from upper São Francisco River, Brazil

A total of 103 specimens of Hoplias intermedius (Günther, 1864) and 86 specimens of H. malabaricus (Bloch, 1794) from the upper São Francisco River, State of Minas Gerais were collected between April 2011 and August 2013, and their parasitic fauna were investigated. Four species of Digenea were found: metacercariae of Austrodiplostomum sp., and Ithyoclinostomum sp.; and adult specimens of Phyllodistomum spatula Odhner, 1902, and Pseudosellacotyla lutzi (Freitas, 1941) Yamaguti, 1954. The prevalence of the metacercariae was higher than that of the adult digeneans of erythrinids from the upper São Francisco River as a result of piscivorous feeding habits of these adult erythrinids. The presence of metacercariae and adult digeneans indicate that they act as intermediate and definitive hosts, respectively, in their biological cycles. Hoplias intermedius is a new host for the four species of Digenea, and the São Francisco River basin is a new location for the known geographical distributions of P. spatula and P. lutzi

Nematodes of Astyanax fasciatus (Actinopterygii: Characidae) and their parasitic indices in the São Francisco river, Brazil

Abstract The endoparasite fauna of Astyanax fasciatus from the upper São Francisco river was investigated and ecological parameters and morphological and morphometric data on the parasites are presented. A total of 74 specimens of banded astyanax were collected downstream from the Três Marias dam, municipality of Três Marias, Minas Gerais (18°12’32”S, 45°15’41”W) in January 2011 and January 2012. Eleven taxa of Nematoda were found: Contracaecum sp.; Hysterothylacium sp.; Goezia sp.; Brevimulticaecum sp.; Procamallanus sp.; Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) saofranciscencis; Cystidicoloides sp.; Spinitectus rodolphiheringi; Rhabdochona sp.; Spiroxys sp.; and Eustrongylides sp.. The fauna of A. fasciatus consisted of by larval specimens of Contracaecum sp., Hysterothylacium sp., Brevimulticaecum sp., Cystidicoloides sp., and Spiroxys sp., and by adult specimens of P. saofranciscencis, whose prevalence was greater than 10%. Thus, this fish acts as an intermediate host of some species of larval nematodes especially, Anisakidae and Acanthocheilidae (Brevimulticaecum sp., new host record and new locality). It participates in transmitting species such Rhabdochona sp. to carnivorous fish and also acts as a definitive host for P. saofranciscencis and S. rodolphiheringi in the upper São Francisco river

AVALIAÇÃO DA ATIVIDADE ANTI-HELMÍNTICA DE EXTRATOS AQUOSOS DE Bidens pilosa L. NA ELIMINAÇÃO DE Vampirolepis nana (VON SIEBOLD, 1952) SPASSKII, 1954

Foram realizados testes com extratos aquosos de Bidens pilosa L. (picão-preto), com o objetivo de avaliar sua atividade anti-helmíntica. Os infusos das folhas frescas a 5, 10 e 20% foram aplicados por via intragástrica, durante três dias consecutivos, em camundongos naturalmente infectados com Vampirolepis nana (Von Siebold, 1952) Spasskii, 1954. Além desses testes, também foi realizada a análise fitoquímica da planta com o objetivo de investigar a presença de determinados compostos secundários. A análise fitoquímica evidenciou a presença de: açúcares redutores, derivados da cumarina, saponinas e taninos. A atividade anti-helmíntica foi avaliada pelo método crítico controlado e os resultados obtidos são promissores quanto ao potencial terapêutico vermífugo dos extratos de B. pilosa, principalmente se for considerado que os testes foram realizados com extratos aquosos