Occurrence and infection dynamics of anisakid larvae in Scomber scombrus, Trachurus trachurus, Sardina pilchardus, and Engraulis encrasicolus from Tarragona (NE Spain)

Between February 1996 and January 2000, parasitological examination of Scomber scombrus (n = 447), Trachurus trachurus (n = 175), Sardina pilchardus (n = 160) and Engraulis encrasicolus (n = 153) from the fishing-ground of Tarragona (NE Spain) were made for anisakids. Three anisakid species (Anisakis larva type I sensu Berland, 1961, Contracaecum sp. and Hysterothylacium aduncum) were morphologically identified. The prevalence of Anisakis larva type I sensu Berland (1961) ranged from 11.0% (S. scombrus) and 2.6% (T. trachurus) to 0.0% (S. pilchardus and E. encrasicolus). The prevalence of H. aduncum in S. scombrus was 1.1%. The prevalence of Contracaecum sp. was 2.0% in S. scombrus, and 0.7% in T. trachurus respectively. There was a positive and significant correlation between the host length and the number of Anisakis larva type I sensu Berland, 1961 found in S. scombrus.