Abstract Mugil curema is a pelagic fish species and it is considered the most common species of the Mugilidae family on the Brazilian coast. The objective of this study was to compile the existing information on the metazoan parasites of this host, as well as including new records from specimens captured in the Cabedelo city, state of Paraíba, Brazil. In the present study, we listed 81 taxa belonging to ten groups previously recorded for the host M. curema, and included 16 species recorded in the Cabedelo region. Eight out of 16 parasite taxa found in the Cabedelo region are first host records for M. curema: Ligophorus brasiliensis, Ligophorus sp.1, Ligophorus sp.2 (Monogenea), Fellodistomidae gen. sp., Bucephalidae gen. sp. (Digenea), Pharyngodonidae gen. sp. (Nematoda), Piscicolidae gen. sp. (Hirudinea) and Lernaeopodidae gen. sp. (Copepoda). Monogenea was the most abundant taxonomic group, followed by Copepoda. Despite the number of existing parasitological studies on this host species, new records of occurrence were made for the Cabedelo region and for the host, indicating that the knowledge about the parasites associated with this fish species is still under construction, especially because of its wide geographic distribution.

Life history parameters such as diet, reproduction, and sexual dimorphism are crucial to understand ecological and evolutionary forces shaping species traits. Nevertheless, such information is scant in the literature for most Neotropical squamates. Gymnophthalmidae contains over 242 species in 46 genera and includes small-size, mostly terrestrial species, although psamophilic, semi-aquatic, and low vegetation dwellers also occur. Dryadosaura is a monospecific genus - Dryadosaura nordestina Rodrigues et al., 2005 - , occurring in Atlantic Forest areas from Rio Grande do Norte to Northern Bahia, and little is known about its ecology and natural history. We analyzed the species' diet, reproduction, and sexual dimorphism based on 170 specimens deposited in museum collections. Dryadosaura nordestina is considered generalist and active forager, based on dietary items. Arthropods, especially ants and insect larvae, dominate the diet. The reproductive period shows a peak during the rainy season (May through June), while recruitment occurs from July through November. Males are significantly larger than females, and sexes can also be distinguished based on shape variables: males have higher heads and longer bodies, while body height and width are larger in females.