New hosts records for some fish parasites from Al-Dalmaj marsh/Iraq

Abstract

The current study conducted in Al-Dalmaj marsh, (180 km south of Baghdad and northeastern part of Al-Diwaniyah province) from November 2021 - May 2022. A total of 345 fish specimens were collected and examined , the collected fish were belonging to three families, including Cichlidae ,Mugilidaeand Cyprinidae family, were including Cyprinus carpio, Coptodon zillii and Planiliza abu, (120, 100 and 125 specimens respectively). Fish bodies were examined, to detect internal and external parasites, examined fish were found to be infected with 29 species of parasites, included four species of Ciliphora .twenty species of Monogenia, one species of Cestoda, two species of Acanthocephala and two species of crustacean. The Cyprinus carpio fish was highly infection rate ( 37.5%) and its infected with 4 new species of parasites, followed by Planiliza abu ,which 42.4% and 4 new species ,while Coptodon zillii was lowest infection rate( 43%) and it was infected with 3 new species of parasites. Cyprinus carpio, Coptodon zillii and Planiliza abu, were condected as new hosts of 11 species of parasites for the first time in Iraq, Nine species of Monogenia ,One species of Cestoda and One species of Ciliphora.