Infection Status with the Metacercariae of Heterophyid Trematode in Mullet and Goby Collected from Western Coastal Areas of Cholla-do, Korea

The present study was performed to investigate the infection status of heterophyid fluke metacercariae in mullets and gobies collected from some coastal areas of cholla-do. The collected fishes were transferred to the laboratory, artificially digested with pepsin-HCI solution and examined under a stereomicroscope. In 70 mullets examined, the metacercariae of Heterophyes nocens (in 28.6% of fish), Heterophyopsis continua (in 2.9%), Pygidiopsis summa (in 32.9%) and Stictodora spp. (in 14.3%) were detected. The metacercariae of H nocens were detected in mullets from Shinan-gun (in 60.0% of fish), Muan-gun (in 54.4%), Hampyong-gun (in 25.0%) and Yonggwang-gun (in 16.7%). The average metacercarial density per infected fish were 7.6,34, 10 and 5 in each areas. A total of 7 metacercariae of H. continua was detected in only 2 mullets from Hampyong-gun. The metacercariae of p. summa were detected in mullets from Haenam-gun (in 80.0% offish), Muan-gun (in 27.3%), Hampyong-gun (in 16.7%) and Puan-gun (in 100%). The average metacercarial density per infected fish were 350, 14, 5 and 97 in each areas. The metacercariae of Stictodora spp. were detected in mullets from Shinan-gun (in 26.7% offish), Hampyong-gun (in 33.3%) and Puan-gun (in 20.0%). The average metacercarial density per infected fish were 2.8, 18.8 and 2.5 in each areas. In 70 gobies examined, the Metacercariae of H nocens (in 15.7% of fish), H continua (in 47.1%) and Stictodora spp. (in 48.6%) were detected. The metacercariae of H. nocens were detected in gobies from Shinan-gun (in 50.0% of fish) and Yonggwang-gun (in 10.0%). The average metacercarial density per infected fish were 71 and 2 in each areas. The metacercariae of H. continua were detected in gobies from Shinan-gun (in 65.0% of fish), Hampyong-gun (in 70.0%) and Yonggwang-gun (in 60.0%). The average metacercarial density per infected fish were 5.7,6.6 and 3.2 in each areas. The metacercariae of Stictodora spp. were detected in gobies from Shinan-gun (in 80.0% offish), Hampyong-gun (in 70.0%) and Puan-gun (in 40.0%). The average metacercarial density per infected fish were 149,203 and 5.5 in each areas. From the above results, it was confirmed that the mullet and goby from some coastal areas of cholla-do are infected with numerous metacercariae of heterophyid trematodes.