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DAO
Diseases of Aquatic Organisms

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DAO 145:185-190 (2021)  -  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03611

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Invasive Amirthalingamia macracantha (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea) larvae infecting tilapia hybrids in Israel: a potential threat for aquaculture

Tomáš Scholz1,*, Nadav Davidovich2, Ortal Aflalo3, Shoshi Hadar3, Monica L. Mazuz4, Daniel Yasur-Landau4

1Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
2Israeli Veterinary Services, Bet Dagan 5025001, Israel
3The Agency for the Veterinary Inspection of Food, Lod 7129466, Israel
4Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan 5025001, Israel
*Corresponding author:

ABSTRACT: Larvae (metacestodes) of gryporhynchid tapeworms (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea) are reported for the first time from the liver of tilapia hybrids (Oreochromis aureus × O. niloticus) reared in earth ponds in northeastern Israel (along the Jordan River). This is the first record of Amirthalingamia macracantha (Joyeux & Baer, 1935), a parasite of cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae), outside Africa and outside the tropics. Larvae found in the liver of tilapias (Cichlidae) were identified to species level because they possessed 20 massive rostellar hooks of 3 types, with the 4 largest hooks measuring almost 500 µm. Molecular data confirmed species identification. The possible route of introduction to Israel of this African parasite, which is large (length up to 2 cm) and potentially pathogenic for cultivated tilapias, is discussed.


KEY WORDS: Tilapia hybrids · Invasive parasite · Cestode larvae · Israel


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Cite this article as: Scholz T, Davidovich N, Aflalo O, Hadar S, Mazuz ML, Yasur-Landau D (2021) Invasive Amirthalingamia macracantha (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea) larvae infecting tilapia hybrids in Israel: a potential threat for aquaculture. Dis Aquat Org 145:185-190. https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03611

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