Seasonal trend of Anisakidae infestation in South Mediterranean bluefish.

Abstract

A total of 1104 fish samples from markets of Sicily were analysed for the detection and species identification of Anisakidae nematodes. The preliminary analysis of the fish samples showed the presence of 2459 larvae. All the fish species revealed different prevalence of infestation, with a maximum of 100% forand a minimum of 4.5% inThe 80% of the larvae examined by PCR-RFLP analysis belonged tospecies. The seasonal infestation trend ofwas evaluated in all the fish sample examined. The results of the seasonal infestation trend showed a marked connection with the ecological aspects of the fish species examined. As far as we know, this work report for the first time important ecological aspects ofspecimens of South Mediterranean. This work could be useful to plan a seasonal fishing strategy aimed at reducing the health risks related to.