Incidence of Lernaea (Crustacea: Copepoda) parasitic in the Mashkid River Basin, Southeast of Iran

Abstract

In the present investigation, Lernaea parasite was reported in the examined fish species, collected from the Mashkid River basin, Southeast of Iran in 2012 and 2013. Lernaea parasites were isolated from the external surface of eye, fins, operculum and body of the Bangana dero, Cyprinion microphthalmus, Gonorhynchus diplocheilus (Cyprinidae), Aphanius dispar (Cyprinodontidae), Channa gachua (Channidae) in different water bodies. The highest infection was found in native fish, B. dero with nine parasites in single specimen. The exotic fishes were not infected.

Keywords

• Copepod, Mashkid River Basin, Native fishes