First Report of (Zeder, 1800) in (Fatio, 1890) from Lake Garda (Italy): Morphological and Molecular Study.

Twaite shad () includes two subspecies, the anadromous , and the landlocked species , representing the only Clupeidae inhabiting Lake Garda. Study of the parasitic fauna of this species in this area is still limited. For this reason, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence of tapeworms from sampled in Lake Garda. Sixty-six specimens were collected at the Milan fish market (Lombardy, Italy); specifically, an evaluation of the gastrointestinal contents was carried out for the presence of helminths. All parasites found were fixed in 70% ethanol and transferred to the laboratories of the University of Messina for morphological and molecular analysis. Parts of the parasites were stained with Semichon's carmine red technique. Molecular analysis was carried out using LSU rRNA and ITS2 region genes. Eight specimens out of sixty-six (12.1%) were positive for adult cestodes within the pyloric caeca. Morphological and molecular analysis could to identify the parasites found to be . This parasite species is not considered a zoonotic agent, representing a low risk of parasitic fish-borne zoonosis for consumers of this appreciated fish from Lake Garda.