Occurrence ofPhilometra lateolabracis(Nematoda: Philometridae) in the gonads of marine perciform fishes in the Mediterranean region

Gravid females of the nematodePhilometra lateolabracis(Yamaguti, 1935), a parasite of gonads of marine perciform fishes, were found in wild and cultured dusky grouperEpinephelus marginatus(Lowe) from waters near the Balear Islands (Spain, Mediterranean Sea) and Sicily (Italy, Thyrrenean Sea), and in the greater amberjackSeriola dumerili(Risso) in Croatia (south-eastern Adriatic Sea). In wildE. marginatusin Spain, the overall prevalence was 21% and the intensity of infection 1 nematode per fish. The nematodes are briefly described and illustrated. The speciesSanguinofilaria jordanoiLópez-Neyra, 1951, described from the ovary ofEpinephelus gigasBrünich from Morocco, is synonymized with P. lateolabracis. This is the first documented record ofP. lateolabracisfrom fishes of the Mediterranean region and its finding inS. dumerilirepresents a new host record. The possible importance of this pathogenic parasite for cultures of marine perciform fishes in the region is stressed.