The Prevalence of The Prevalence of Rhadinorhynchus Sp. Infecting Chub Mackerel Scomber Japonicus From The Al- Khoums - Libya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59743/jbs.v39i2.362Keywords:
Al-khoums, Libya, Scomber japonicus, Acanthocephala, RhadinorhynchusAbstract
This study aimed to document the infection of (Scomber japonicus) fish with Acanthocephalan parasites of the genus (Rhadinorhynchus sp. Rudolphi, 1802). In this study, fresh samples were taken during the period from June 2025 to April 2026. All samples were transferred to the reference laboratory at the Faculty of Science, Al-khoums, Al-Marqab University. The number of fish studied was 120 fish of different sizes. The genus (Rhadinorhynchus sp.: Rudolphi, 1802) was found in the intestines of several mackerel (Scomber japonicus: Houttuyn, 1782) caught off the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea (in the Al- khoums region of Libya). The parasite infection rate was 35.83%, varying seasonally. The highest infection rate (41.87%) was recorded in summer, followed by autumn (25.58%), while it decreased to 18.60% and 13.95% in spring and winter, respectively. The average number of parasites ranged from one to four per infected fish. A comparison of prevalence rates using the chi-squared test showed no statistically significant differences between infection abundance and fish length and weight. The presence of Rhadinorhynchus sp. in Scomber japonicus fish from Libyan waters provides further evidence of the relationships between parasites in the study area and those found in the western tropical Atlantic and the Mediterranean see.
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