A simple technique for recovering larval ascaridoid nematodes from the flesh of marine fish

This paper describes and evaluates the efficiency of a simple technique for recovering larval ascaridoid nematodes (Anisakis simplex and Pseudoterranova decipiens) from the flesh of marine fish. The technique involves mechanical disintegration of the flesh in a domestic food processor, followed by visual inspection of diluted portions of the resulting homogenate under short-wave ultraviolet light. The nematodes, which remain intact, fluorescence brightly and are easily detected, particularly if the musculature has been frozen and thawed previously. The technique recovers a much higher proportion of the total number of nematodes than candling and slicing, is more rapid than pepsin-HCl digestion, and would therefore be suitable for large-scale surveys of ascaridoid nematodes in the flesh of marine fish.