Seasonal population dynamics of Zeuxapta seriolae (Monogenea: Heteraxinidae) parasitising Seriola dumerili (Carangidae) in the Western Mediterranean

We examined the seasonal and yearly population dynamics of the monogenean pathogen Zeuxapta seriolae on juvenile fish from wild populations of Seriola dumerili. The study is based on bimonthly monitoring between April, 2005 and April, 2007 off Majorca, and newly obtained monogenean population data for juvenile fish from three additional localities in the Western Mediterranean (off Alicante, Corsica and Sardinia). We documented the highest intensities and abundances of Z. seriolae, with mean abundance values similar to or higher than those reported in the single case of wild fish mortalities reported to date. There was a recurrent pattern of seasonal change in infection with Z. seriolae in the populations of S. dumerili off Majorca, with substantially higher parasite loads during the warm season (April to June). Mean parasite abundance was significantly correlated with seawater temperature and associated with higher proportions of juvenile worms in the parasite populations, thus suggesting increased transmission rates at higher temperatures. There was a significant negative association between abundance of Z. seriolae and fish length. Comparisons with the samples of younger and older fish off Majorca indicated that whereas infection parameters gradually increased in the first year of juvenile fish life, larger/older fish (>43 cm; 1+) were much lightly infected than the smaller/younger (<30 cm; 0+) juvenile fish examined in the same season. The observed increases in abundance during the warm weather months were invariably associated with sharp increases in monogenean aggregation levels and this was in contrast with the markedly low levels for both parameters during the cold season months. These data, coupled with the strong negative correlation between the levels of aggregation of Z. seriolae and mean fish total length, indicate that heavily infected individuals are being rapidly removed (i.e. within 2-3 months) from the host population thus reducing the heterogeneity of parasite distribution as fish grow. We discuss parasite-induced host mortality and other mechanisms that may account for observed recurrent patterns in monogenean abundance and spatial aggregation and review the data available on the spread of Z. seriolae infections in the Mediterranean.