Online first articles

Four hundred and sixty-eight specimens of white mullet Mugil curema (Valenciennes, 1836) were collected over a four-year period (February 2021 to February 2024), although sampling was not continuous, in Tres Palos Lagoon, Guerrero, Mexico. The aim of this study was to assess the factors influencing the interannual dynamics of parasite communities associated with this fish species. A total of 14 metazoan parasite species were recorded, including one Monogenea, four Digenea, four Acanthocephala, one Cestoda, two Nematoda, and two Crustacea (one copepod and one branchiuran). Three species (Ligophorus mugilinus, Floridosentis pacifica, and Ergasilus lizae) were classified as specialists of mugilid fishes, whereas the remaining eleven species were acquired opportunistically during the host’s residence in the lagoon. Digeneans and acanthocephalans were the most diverse groups, with four species each. The abundance of certain parasite species increased with host body size, while others were more prevalent in smaller individuals. Interannual and seasonal variation in infection levels was associated with fluctuations in biotic and abiotic conditions driven by seasonal dry and rainy cycles, which likely influence both the population dynamics of intermediate hosts and the feeding behavior of M. curema.