Incidence of ascaridoid larvae in Kuwaiti food fishes

Three hundred and six fish of 83 species were carefully examined in Kuwait during the period from October 1992 to September 1995 for ascaridoid larvae. Thirty-nine fishes (12.7%) belonging to 23 species were infected with 9 types of ascaridoid third-stage larvae: Anisakis simplex, Terranva spp, Contracaecum spp and 6 different types of Hysterothylacium spp (KA-KF). Hysterothylacium larvae (including all types) were found in all the infected fish except one (94.6%); Terranova larvae were found in 12 fishes (10 species, 56.1%); Anisakis simplex larvae occurred in 2 fishes (2 species, 8.6%) and Contracaecum spp larvae in one fish only.