Parasites of cephalopods in the northern Tyrrhenian Sea (western Mediterranean): new host records and host specificity

This paper examines the species composition of the parasite fauna and the v alues of infection for seven species of cephalopods in the Mediterranean at the Tyrrhenian Sea (West coast of Italy). Results suggest the important ro le of cephalopods as intermediate hosts in the life cycle of anisakine nema todes and pennellid copepods. The low host specificity (i. e., eurixenous c ondition) of metazoan parasites in cephalopods worldwide is also reinforced .