Checklists of Fish Hosts of Species of Neoechinorhynchus Stiles & Hassall, 1905 (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) Recorded in Iraq

Abstract

A survey of 145 literature concerning the occurrence of the acanthocephalan genus Neoechinorhynchus parasitizing fishes of Iraq, indicated that there are 12 identified species of Neoechinorhynchus as well as some unidentified species of this genus infecting 34 fish species. The infections were distributed in fishes from Tigris, Euphrates and Shatt Al-Arab rivers and some of their tributaries, as well as in some lakes, marshes, depressions, drainage networks, many fishponds and floating cages in different parts of Iraq, in addition to marine territorial waters of the Arab Gulf. Among the infected fishes, the mugilid fish Planiliza abu was infected with the highest number of Neoechinorhynchus species (ten parasite species), followed by Silurus triostegus (five parasite species), while 17 fish species were infected with only one Neoechinorhynchus species each. Among such acanthocephalans, N. iraqensis was infecting a total of 25 different fish species, followed by N. rutili (16 fish species), while N. australis, N. macronucleatus and N. miniovalis were detected from one fish host species each.

Keywords

• Acanthocephala
• Neoechinorhynchus
• Fishes
• Iraq