| Summary: | Species of Ergasilus Nordman, 1832 are copepod parasites found worldwide in aquatic environments,
and are considered to be major causes of disease in fish farming. One of its important hosts, Genidens barbus, occurs on
the east coast of Brazil, in coastal waters, estuaries and the lower reaches of rivers, from Rio de Janeiro to Rio de la
Plata, and is considered the most abundant sea catfish in the South and southeast of Brazil. The presence of unknown
parasite species is still very large, so there is a need to know more about respect for existing parasitic biodiversity to
help species that base new descriptions and even re-descriptions. Thus, the present study aimed to study the
biodiversity of G. barbus ectoparasites collected in the Bertioga Channel - SP. We collected seven examples of this
hosted by a local fisherman and brought to the Ichthyoparasitology laboratory in the city of Bauru, where they were
necropsied. At necropsy, the gills were analyzed for ectoparasites. This organ was passed through the 75µm aperture
screen and rinsed in running water and the contents were analyzed under the stereomicroscope for parasites. A total
of 111 specimens of crowns parasitizing as gills were found, 40 specimens belonging to the species Ergasilus sp.
(Copepoda: Ergasilidae) and the other 71 examples have not yet been identified. The species analyzed in the present
study presented average intensity = 13.3 ± 2.44; average abundance = 5.71 ± 0.82 and prevalence = 42.9%. Thus, the
study on parasitic biodiversity has presented as an important resource for a more specific knowledge of fish parasites
not yet analyzed, as is the case of several species shown in the Bertioga Channel, one of the main Brazilian stages.
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