[Community ecology of metazoan parasites of Cyphocharax gilbert (Quoy e Gaimard, 1824) (Characiformes: Curimatidae) from Guandu river, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil].

Sixty specimens of Sairú Cyphocharax gilbert (Quoy and Gaimard, 1824) from River Guandu, (22 degrees 48'32'S, 43 degrees 37'35''"W), State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil were studied for their metazoan parasites during May 2004 and February 2005. A total of seven species of metazoan parasites were collected and identified: Sphinctero- diplostomum musculosum (metacercariae), Diplostomum (A.) compactum (metacercariae), Zonocotyloides haroltravassosi, Cosmoxynemoides aguirrei, Travnema araujoi, Raphidascaris sp. (larval) and Placobdella sp. Sphincterodiplostomum musculosum (Diplostomidae) founded in the eyes, was the more prevalent (40%) with highest mean intensity value (11.2). The nematodes C. aguirrei and T. araujoi (Pharyngodonidae) showed prevalence higher than 10%. Only S. musculosum showed significant correlation between the host total length and the parasite abundance. The parasite species richness showed a mean value of 0.9 + 0.88 (0-3). The evaluation of the effect of host sex on parasite prevalence and abundance not showed significant results. The metazoan parasite community of C. gilbert is characterized by the low species diversity and for dominance of species with low values of prevalence.