Parasites of veterinary importance of ornamental fish commercialized in Mexico

The wild and farm-raised ornamental fish trade is an industry that generates substantial economic profits worldwide. We report the parasitic fauna of imported marine and freshwater ornamental fish from ten aquarium wholesaler shops from two important localities in Mexico: Morelos Market in Mexico City and Merida in the state of Yucatan. Between February 2016 and March 2020, a total of 631 fish were examined for parasites, of which 66 species belong to 19 families of marine ornamental fish and 22 species from 9 families of freshwater ornamental fish. Twelve parasite species were recovered in marine fish belonging to three taxa: 7 Digenea, 3 Monogenea and 2 Nematoda. In freshwater fish, four parasite species belonging to four taxa were found: Protozoa, Digenea, Nematoda and Cestoda. Infection of individual fish species by specific parasites ranged from 0.20 to 4.55 %. The monogeneans Neobenedenia girellae and Pseudempleurosoma haywardi were the most prevalent parasites. Spearman's rank correlation test showed a significant association between various aquarium biosecurity practices, such as the absence of a quarantine area, low water exchange rates, lack of prophylactic treatments, inadequate removal of dead fish, and insufficient disinfection of water and equipment with the prevalence of N. girellae and P. haywardi. This knowledge can aid in the development of effective management strategies to promote the health of ornamental fish populations imported, minimize disease outbreaks and ensure the sustainable growth of this industry in Mexico.