Patterns of distribution of the helminth parasites of freshwater fishes of Mexico.

ABSTRACT: In order to draw patterns in helminth parasite composition and species richness in Mexican freshwater fishes we analyse a presence-absence matrix representing every species of adult helminth parasites of freshwater fishes from 23 Mexican hydrological basins. We examine the distributional patterns of the helminth parasites with regard to the main hydrological basins of the country, and in doing so we identify areas of high diversity and point out the biotic similarities and differences among drainage basins. Our dataset allows us to evaluate the relationships among drainage basins in terms of helminth diversity. This paper shows that the helminth fauna of freshwater fishes of Mexico can characterise hydrological basins the same way as fish families do, and that the basins of south-eastern M

SUBMITTER: Quiroz-Martinez B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3554625 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature