Study on Some Parasitic Helminthes Infection in Red Mulluet Fish (Mullus surmuletus Linnaeus, 1758) From Al-Khums Coast, Libya

Abstract

This study was aimed to identify some parasitic helminths (nematode and acanthocephalan) infecting Mullus surmuletus from the coast of the city of Al-Khums, Libya, and studying the relationship between the prevalence of some parasitic helminths and the variables of sex, body weight, and body length of M. surmuletus. One hundred and twenty three samples of M. surmuletus were collected randomly from ALkums cost during the period from April 2022 to May 2023. The weight and length of all fish were measured, and each fish was opened up dorso-ventrally. The sex of the examined fish was determined, and parasites were collected. The results revealed that four species of parasitic helminths were detected during the examination, three nematodes sp. (Anisakis sp. larva, Contracaecum sp. larva and Hysterothylacium adecipiens) and one species of Acanthocephalan (Echinorhynchus gadi). The result showed that the most common helminths with the highest infection rate were Anisakis sp. larva at 39.29%, followed by H. adecipiens at 21.05%, Contracaecum sp. larva at 28.58%, and E. gadi at 18.19%, respectively. The results of this study add information about some parasitic helminths that infect fish in the Libyan coast. This information, along with other studies, will contribute to understanding the spread of parasitic helminths and their impact on fish.