Prevalence and intensity of metazoan parasites of Mesopotamian spiny eel, Mastacembelus mastacembelus (Banks & Solander 1794) according to some parameters of the host, inhabiting in Euphrates-Tigris Basin

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine seasonal infections of the metazoan parasite fauna of Mesopotamian spiny eel (Mastacembelus mastacembelus) inhabiting in Euphrates and Tigris Basin, Eastern Anatolia, Turkey. A total of 122 fish were caught between November 2016 and August 2017 and 4932 parasites were recorded. One species of protozoan parasite (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis), two species of Monogenea (Mastacembelocleidus heteranchorus and Diplozoon sp.), one species of Digenea (Diplostomum spathaceum), one species of Cestoda (Polyonchobothrium magnum), two species of Nematoda (Procamallanus viviparous and Rhabdochona denudata), two species of Copepoda (Eergasilus sieboldi and Argulus foliaceus), one species of Hridunea (Piscicola geometra) and one species of Unionidae (Unio pictorum) observed respectively. According to their prevalence, I. multifiliis (10.66%), M. heteranchorus (58.19%), Diplozoon sp. (0.1%), D. spathaceum (63.93%), P. magnum (24.59%), P. viviparous, (0.41%), R. denudata (9.01%), E. sieboldi (14.75%), A. foliaceus (3.27%), P. geometra (3.3%) and U. pictorum (58.19%) were found. All parasite species except A. foliaceus in this study are new records. From these parasites, Diplozoon sp. and P. geometra are the first records for the Mesopotamian spiny eel parasite fauna worldwide. (mandatory for all types of papers, full-length papers, short notes, correspondence type papers).