How to cope with bloodfeeding parasites on seabream in Mediterranean aquaculture: Sparicotyle chrysophrii on the run

摘要

Sparicotyle chrysophrii (van Beneden and Hesse, 1863) Mamaev, 1984 is a mono-genean gill parasite that mainly parasitises wild and reared gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata). Sharpsnout seabream (Diplodus puntazzo) only become infected when they are kept in neighbouring or in the same cages as gilthead seabream, its natural host (1). Gilthead and sharpsnout seabream are finfish species belonging to the family Spari-dae. They are commonly found in the Mediterranean and in some areas of the northeasternAtlantic coast. The gilthead seabream is one of the most important species in marine aquae -ulture, and the third most prevalent species in production in Europe. In the Mediterranean it is the main cultured fish, with a total production of about 157,630Mt in 2008.