Checklist of Fish Hosts of Species of Lernaea Linnaeus, 1758 (Hexanauplia: Cyclopoida: Lernaeidae) in Iraq

Abstract

Surveying literature concerning the occurrence of Lernaea cyprinacea and L. oryzophila as well as some unidentified Lernaea species infecting fishes of Iraq, showed the infection of 31 fish species with L. cyprinacea, one fish species with L. oryzophila and seven fish species with unidentified Lernaea species as adults or larval stages. The infections were distributed in Tigris, Euphrates and Shatt Al-Arab rivers as well as some of their tributaries, lakes, marshes, drainage networks in addition to many fish ponds and floating cages in different parts of Iraq. The study also provided information on control methods, histopathological effects, some ecological aspects of the infection, life cycle, experimental infection, fertilization of fish ponds and effect of water pollution on the infection with L. cyprinacea. It is concluded that fail of inspection of the common carp, Cyprinus carpio, while transferring to different inland waters and fish farm as well as ignoring the application of quarantine measures plaid an important role in spreading L. cyprinacea in new habitats as well as the infection of other freshwater fishes with this parasite.