ASSESSMENT OF THE PREVALENCE OF ANISAKIDAE LARVAE PREVALENCE IN ANCHOVIES IN THE CENTRAL ADRIATIC SEA

Official controls of fishery products include visual inspection to detect visible parasites. This work is intended to be a report of the parasitic controls in anchovies (Engraulis enchrasicolus) sampled in the fish market in San Benedetto del Tronto (AP, Marche), caught in the middle Adriatic Sea from July 2005 to October 2006. Out of 5696 observed anchovies, 326 (5.72%)were infested with anisakidae larvae: 273 (4.79%) with Anisakis larvae, 70 (1.23%) with Hysterothylacium larvae and 17 (0.3 %) with both genera. Fishes over130 mm long showed to be more infested and a positive trend of infestation depending on fish size was statistically detected. Parasites showed a seasonal distribution, with higher prevalence in May and October. These findings do not totally agree with previous results of other authors.