Parasites of some bonyfish species from the Boojagh wetland in the southwest shores of the Caspian Sea

Abstract

The Boojagh international wetland with a surface area of 80 hectares and 25 fish species is located in the southwest shores of the Caspian Sea (Guilan province, Iran), but there is no report about fish parasites in this wetland. In the present study, a total of 553 individuals of 8 fish species including Cyprinus carpio (n=71), Abramis bjoerkna (n=153), Carassius auratus gibelio (n=89), Esox lucius (n=39), Rutilus rutilus caspius (n=36), Rutilus frisii kutum (n=81), Scardinius erythrophthalmus (n=119) and Tinca tinca (n=4), were collected in October 2001 through November 2003. Eight parasite species were identified in the fishes consisting of 1 nematode: Raphidascaris acus (in E. lucius and S. erythrophthalmus); 1 cestode: Caryophyllaeus fimbriceps (in R. rutilus caspius and C. carpio); 2 digenean trematodes: Asymphylodora tincae (in T. tinca) and Diplostomum spathaceum (in all of the fish species except for T. tinca and S. erythrophthalmus); 2 monogenean trematodes: Tetraonchus monenteron (in E. lucius) and Dactylogyrus sp. (in C. carpio, A. bjoerkna and C. auratus gibelio); 1 crustacean: Lernaea cyprinacea (in A. bjoerkna, T. tinca and R. rutilus caspius) and 1 leech : Piscicola sp. (in R. rutilus caspius and C. carpio). The occurrence of R. acus in S. erythrophthalmus and also that of C. fimbriceps in R. rutilus caspius are reported for the first time as new host records.

Keywords

• Boojagh wetland
• Caspian Sea
• parasite
• Bonyfish
• Abramis bjoerkna
• Carassius auratus gibelio
• Esox lucius
• Rutilus rutilus caspius
• Rutilus frisii kutum
• Scardinius erythrophthalmus