Pathology associated with larval sp. (nematoda: Dioctophymatoidea) infection in (actinopterygii: Galaxiidae) from patagonia, Argentina.

Helminth infections within tissues tend to be subjected to a host response that can include encapsulation and melanization to isolate the parasite. The effectiveness of this response depends on the host species. During a survey of parasites of the native fish, , we found conspicuous, strongly melanized exterior cysts located in the caudal peduncle of the fish. Dissection of these cysts exposed larval nematodes whose morphometrical features allowed their identification as sp. Species of this genus are distributed worldwide. was previously reported as second intermediate host to sp. larvae, and the aquatic bird was cited as definitive host of in Andean Patagonian lakes. The site of infection in the fish, and the host's response are unique among infections by larvae of sp. in fishes, so the objective of this study was to describe the histological injury caused by larvae of the genus parasitizing . Samples of fish were taken near the shore of Gutiérrez lake, in northwestern Patagonia. Some larval morphometric features were described to confirm the identity of larvae to generic level. Histopathological analysis (tissues sectioned at 5-7 μm, stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin, and Masson's Trichrome) of the caudal peduncle revealed almost complete disappearance of the epaxial musculature due to compressive atrophy and a chronic inflammatory response, associated mainly with a dense fibrotic capsule and an intense melanic deposit. This is the first description of the histopathology of an external cyst caused by sp. larvae in fishes.