PARASITE COMMUNITY DIVERSITY IN 2 MEDITERRANEAN LABRID FISHES SYMPHODUS-TINCA AND LABRUS-MERULA

Examination of 111 peacock wrasse [Symphodus tinca (L.)] and 97 brown wrasse (Labrus merula L.) from the Valencian coast (Spain) yielded 24 metazoan parasite species (11 Digenea, three Cestoda, four Nematoda, one Acanthocephala, five Crustacea). Eighteen species were from S. tinca and 17 from L. merula; 11 of the 24 species were common to both hosts. Brillouin's diversity index was applied to fully censused parasite infracommunities. This is the first time that all the metazoan parasites (internal and external) in any position in the host have been analysed for diversity. High values of prevalence, intensity, and diversity parameters indicate that these labrid fishes support diverse parasite communities. This may be due to their diverse diet, mainly marine invertebrates which are possible intermediate hosts; they also support certain nematodes and crustaceans which have direct life-cycle.