Molecular characterization of anisakid nematode larvae from 13 species of fish from Western Australia

Abstract

This study characterized anisakid nematodes in estuarine and near-shore species of fish in southern Western Australia. A total of 108 fish representing 13 species were examined for anisakid larvae. For the molecular characterization of anisakid larvae (n = 218), we used PCR-coupled mutation scanning-sequencing-phylogenetic analyses of sequence variation in the internal transcribed spacers of nuclear ribosomal DNA. With the exception of Sillaginoides punctatus and Sillago schomburgkii, all the fish species examined (Aldrichetta forsteri, Arripis georgianus, Hyporhamphus regularis, Mugil cephalus, Platycephalus speculator, Pomatomus saltatrix, Pseudocaranx dentex, Pseudocaranx wrighti, Thysano..