Patterns of genetic variation and life history traits of Zeuxapta seriolae infesting Seriola lalandi across the coastal and oceanic areas in the southeastern Pacific Ocean: potential implications for aquaculture

Background The monogenean, Zeuxapta seriolae, is a host-specific parasite that has an extensive geographical distribution on its host, Seriola lalandi, and is considered highly pathogenic in farmed fish. In recent years, developing cultures of S. lalandi in different coastal localities in Southeastern Pacific Ocean (SEP) have been affected by moderate and heavy infections of this parasite, attributed to contagion from wild to farmed fish. Here, we evaluated the pattern of genetic variations and biological traits of Z. seriolae in a spatial and temporal scale across its geographical distribution in SEP to determine its genetic status and biological traits, which could affect its transmission dynamics from wild to farmed fish.