Dactylogyrus fraternus Wagener, 1909 (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) Parasitic on Alburnus alburnus (Cyprinidae) from Turkey

Mustafa Koyun,Faik Naci Altunel

doi:10.15835/nsb245396

Abstract

Dactylogyrus species are a group of monogenean gill parasites that are highly specific to freshwater fishes; represents the most dominant genus among the Monogenea with regard to host distribution and location. They were sampled 14 species from more than 27 host collected in Turkey. Among these dactylogyrid parasites, Dactylogyrus fraternus could be described and illustrated from specimens collected from gills of a cyprinid fish, bleak Alburnus alburnus, in Enne Dam reservoir from Kutahya, Turkey. Diagnostic characters of this species are the tegument of trunk showing annulations, except on the cephalic region, and copulatory complex comprising sclerotized, basal part broad, the tube which is long and hard. The purpose of the present study was to determine, on the whole, the body structure of the Dactylogyrus fraternus in bleak.

Highlights

Monogeneans are almost entirely dependent upon their hosts, which constitute their sole environment throughout the life cycle, and they are known to be generally highly host-specific (Baer, 1957; Kennedy, 1975; Rohde, 1979, Noble et al, 1989; Sasal et al, 1998)
Each egg develops to a single adult worm which produces many eggs during its life
The Monogeneans studied are a part of the material collected from 972 specimens of the bleak Alburnus alburnus (Linnaeus, 1758) from Enne Dam Reservoir of Kutahya state of Turkey from February 1998 to January 2000

Summary

Introduction

Monogeneans are almost entirely dependent upon their hosts, which constitute their sole environment throughout the life cycle, and they are known to be generally highly host-specific (Baer, 1957; Kennedy, 1975; Rohde, 1979, Noble et al, 1989; Sasal et al, 1998). They are flatworms (Platyhelminthes), ectoparasitic which attach on their host’s skin or gills by special attachment organs, posterior positioned (Park et al, 2007). The uterus usually contains no more than one, or only a few eggs (Hayward, 2005; Whittington, 2005)

Objectives

Methods

Results