A Comprehensive Review of Endoparasite Infections in Marine Fish: Prevalence, Infection Factors, and Dominant Species

Endoparasite infections with high prevalence rates cause significant economic losses and serious risks to human health including schistosomiasis. The prevalence of these infections in marine fish is influenced by the environmental and anthropogenic elements, dominant parasite species, and their biological adaptations. Recent studies identified Rhadinorhynchus and Anisakis were dominant endoparasite species due to their unique biological characteristics. Numerous reports have documented the prevalence of endoparasites in marine fish. However, a comprehensive review of recent findings, encompassing infection factors, dominant species, and parasite biology-remains lacking. To address research gap, we compiled relevant data on endoparasite infections in marine fish species published between 2019 and 2025. High infection rates of parasites, including Acanthocephalans, Cestodes, Myxosporeans, Nematodes, and Trematodes have been recorded. Among these, Acanthocephalans and Nematodes are the most frequently reported, with their prevalence influenced by factors of the host size, feeding behavior, metal pollution, habitat, migration patterns, ocean zones, seasons, and climatic conditions. This review provides valuable insights for monitoring endoparasite infections in marine fish. The accurate identification of species is fundamental to the design of effective countermeasures and the establishment of sustainable disease management strategies.