[Metazoan parasites of the bluewing searobin Prionotus punctatus (Bloch, 1793) (Osteichthyes: Triglidae) from the coastal zone of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil].

Eighty specimens of P. punctatus from Angra dos Reis, coastal zone of the State of Rio de Janeiro (23 degrees 01'S, 44 degrees 19'W), were necropsied between May 2002 to August 2003 to study their infracommunities of metazoan parasites. Were collected 23 species of metazoan parasites: 4 digenean, 2 monogeneans, 2 cestodes, 2 acantocephalans, 6 nematodes, 3 copepods, 2 branchiura, 1 isopod and 1 hirudinean. All fishes were parasitized by two or more parasites species. The nematodes was the predominant taxon (58.6% of parasites collected). Hysterothylacium sp. was the most prevalent, abundant and dominant species. The total of parasites collected and the parasites species richness were significantly correlated with host's total length. Ten species of parasites showed significantly correlation between parasites abundance and total length of P. punctatus. The sex of the host showed positive influence on abundance and prevalence of Hysterothylacium sp., Progrillotia dollfusi Carvajal and Rego, 1983 and Dolops sp. Four pairs of adult endoparasites, one pair of endoparasites larval stages and two pairs of ectoparasites presented association and/or covariation between its prevalences and abundances, respectively. Quantitative dominance of endoparasites in the parasite community of P. punctatus could be related with the predatorious behavior of this fish.