Analysis of the Prevalence and Species of Anisakis nematode in Sekisaba, Scomber japonicus Caught in Coastal Waters off Saganoseki, Oita in Japan

Abstract

Anisakidosis is developed by ingesting Anisakis in marine fish, including the chub mackerel, Scomber japonicus, without proper pre-treatment such as cooking or freezing. Two sibling species of Anisakis are found in S. japonicus from Japanese waters, and the prevalence and species of Anisakis in the fish depend on the sea area. For example, Anisakis simplex sensu stricto (s.s.) is found in the Pacific stock of S. japonicus, whereas A. pegreffii is found in the Tsushima Warm Current stock. S.japonicus caught in the Bungo Channel, off the coast of Saganoseki in Oita Prefecture, which is branded as Sekisaba, inhabits a very limited area; however, the infection states of Anisakis found in Sekisaba remain unclear. In this study, we compared the infection states of Anisakis in Sekisaba with those in S. japonicus caught in the South Oita area and Nagasaki Prefecture. All Anisakis from the Nagasaki Prefecture were A. pegreffii, while most of them found in Sekisaba and fish from the South Oita area were A. simplex s.s. Interestingly, the prevalence of Anisakis in Sekisaba was significantly lower than that in the other two areas. This may reflect the fact that Sekisaba might belong to a distinct stock of S. japonicus, varying from other stocks.