Gills of Centropomus viridis infected with the monogenean parasite Rhabdosynochus viridisi

Monogenean parasites pose a significant threat to the aquaculture industry, causing substantial economic losses. These parasites can lead to high mortality rates, reduced growth and reproduction rates, and decreased fitness of the cultured fish stock. Particularly, the parasite Rhabdosynochus viridisi infects the gills of the white snook Centropomus viridis and can cause adverse effects in aquaculture settings. The immune response mechanisms elicited by white snooks infected with the parasite are not well understood. Thus, the objective of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes in the gills of white snook juveniles experimentally infected with R. viridisi, with emphasis in immune-related genes and pathways activated or suppressed during the infection. RNA sequencing was performed with the most external gill branchial arch of uninfected and infected fish.