Two specimens of Atlantic horse mackerel were collected in 2007–2008 during the annual monitoring of fish, carried out by the research vessel SNB-AR-1 (University of Agriculture, Szczecin) in a network of areas along the western Polish coasts of the Baltic Sea with the aim of following the development of coastal fish stocks. All monitoring areas were located close to the coast. The other fish species were caught by accident by local fishermen with flounder gillnets or fyke nets (Figure 1). In 2007–2008 representatives of the following species were captured and examined: 1. two juveniles [(1) and (2)] of Atlantic horse mackerel
check details Trachurus trachurus L., 1758; Fam. Carangidae, Order: Perciformes; location: Pomeranian Bay, depth: 12 m; bottom trawl; date of capture: 30 September 2007; both individuals immature; All the specimens were selleck chemical examined morphologically following Krzykawski et al., 2001, Turan, 2006 and Uiblein and Heemstra, 2010. Species were identified with the aid of available keys (Whitehead et al. 1986). Table 2 lists detailed taxonomic data of the striped red mullet in
order to rule out any doubts about the species’ taxonomic status. In addition, the stomach contents of the fish were analysed. Parasitological examination focused on the skin, vitreous humour, eye lens, mouth and nasal cavities, gills, gonads, spleen, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, swim bladder, peritoneum and muscles. The parasites found in the fish were prepared for species determination by viewing the specimens in transient light, immersed in glycerine Pregnenolone or preserved in 70% ethanol so that the procedure could be continued the next day. Table 1 presents biological descriptions (total length, weight and stomach contents) of the fish examined. The stomachs of all the fish were empty, except that of the thicklip grey mullet from
the first location – (1), in which two specimens of Gammarus pulex (L., 1758) (Gammaridae) were found. Morphological examination of the specimens showed that they fit within the ranges given in Whitehead et al., 1986 and Krzykawski et al., 2001, with the exception of the striped red mullet (Figure 2), which also exhibited some features characteristic of Mullus barbatus L. (shape and length of head, barbel length, gill raker count). Table 2 lists the detailed morphological characteristics of the specimen of M. surmuletus examined, including the metric characters expressed as a proportion of total length (TL), standard length (SL) and head length (HL), and meristic features. The ‘visiting’ fishes hosted eight pathogens from four taxonomic groups: Protozoa (two species), Nematoda (three species), Acanthocephala (two species) and Mollusca (one species) (Table 3). The most numerous were nematodes (Secernentea: Anisakidae), recorded in fishes of three species.