Preliminary analysis of parasitic copepod species richness of chondrichthyan fish off Tunisian coasts.

Abstract

A preliminary  work of harvest and observations from various prospected areas in Tunisia (Bay of Bizerte, Gulf of Tunis, Gulf of  Hammamet and Gulf of  Gabes) enabled us to note a great diversity of Elasmobranchs. In fact, 15 species belonging to 8 different families were identified and examined. Among these, some families, mainly Triakidae, Dasyatidae and Torpedinidae, have been the subject of  an in-depth study because of their economic importance in the fisheries. The great importance of  the biodiversity motivates us to study the parasites of chondrichthyan fish , especially since most of these fish are in danger of  extinction because of  their low reproductive potential, catching by fisheries and pollution. The parasitological study of  these fish species  revealed a great diversity of  their parasitic copepods . In fact, we reported the presence of  14 different species belonging to 7 families. The diversity of these species  is related to to some eco-biological and ethological characteristics of  host fish .