(Photo by Y. Ishihara (1))
Fig. 3. Metacercaria from the cyst.
Fig. 1. Cysts (arrows) in the fin of whitespotted conger.
| Parasite name | Unidentified trematoda. |
|---|---|
| Taxonomy | Plathyhelminthes, Trematoda |
| Host | Whitespotted conger (Conger myriaster) |
| Infection site | Fin |
| Clinical signs | Whitish granulated bodies (1.0-1.5 mm) are observed in the fin (Fig. 1). |
| Parasitology | Cyst is a metacercaria of
trematode encapsulated by the host’s connective tissue
(Fig. 2). The body is round and protrudes anteriorly (Fig. 3). The parasite is
not identified at a species level because of the lack of adults. The life cycle
is unknown. |
| Pathology | No report. |
| Health hazard | Since no human trematode has been
reported in conger eel, it is probably harmless in food hygiene. |
| Diagnosis | The worm was diagnosed as trematode since it had an
oral sucker-like structure at the anterior end. |
| Other information | This parasite was found in wild whitespotted conger caught off San-In area,
the Sea of Japan side of western part of Japan. |
| References | No report. |
Fig. 2. Metacercaria cysts collected from the fin.