Parasitological study of the Peruvian scallop Argopecten purpuratus (Lamarck, 1819), in Sechura and Samanco bays, Peru

Abstract

In 2016, a parasitological study was carried out on 40 specimens of Peruvian scallop Argopecten purpuratus, 10 samples came from Samanco Bay (Ancash) and 30 were from Sechura Bay (Piura), which were obtained in culture areas, in June and September 2015. Samanco specimens were fixed in Davidson’s solution, for histological analysis; and out of 30 specimens from Sechura Bay, 10 were fixed in Davidson’s solution for histology and 20 from E-1 Bayovar and E-8 Parachique stations were kept alive in the laboratory for fresh parasitological analysis. In the E-1 station samples, the following parasites were found: Turbellaria, copepods, cestode larvae and the gregarino Nematopsis sp. At the E-8 station, we found the same parasites as at the E-1 station, and metacercariae of digenetic trematode. In the histological analysis of the 20 samples fixed in Davidson’s solution, from both bays, parasites were only found in the gonads; cestode larvae were registered in the scallops coming from Sechura, and only sporocysts of digenetic trematodes were registered in the scallops coming from Samanco. Keywords: Sechura bay, Samanco bay, scallop, histology, parasites, Peru