Solostamenides paucitesticulatus n. sp. (Monogenoidea: Mazocraeidea: Microcotylidae) from the freshwater mullet Liza abu (Heckel) (Mugiliformes: Mugilidae) from Atatürk Reservoir on the Euphrates River in southern Turkey.

Solostamenides paucitesticulatus n. sp. (Monogenoidea: Microcotylidae) from the gills of the abu mullet Liza abu (Heckel) in Atatürk Reservoir in southern Turkey is described. Among other features, the new species is easily distinguished from its three congeners, Solostamenides mugilis (Vogt, 1879), Solostamenides pseudomugilis (Hargis, 1956) and Solostamenides polyorchis Zhang & Yang, 2001, by having fewer hooks on the male copulatory organ (11 to 14), testes (5 to 9), and haptoral clamps (31 to 47).

Molecular evidence supports the validity of three Parabrachiella species infecting mugilids.

The parasitic copepod genus Parabrachiella is composed of 70 species, 14 of which are found in South America. The finding of new specimens of Parabrachiella mugilis from Turkey allowed us to compare the nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene of this species with those of the South American Parabrachiella exilis and Parabrachiella platensis; all these species are parasites of mugilids. In addition, specimens of Parabrachiella fasciata, Parabrachiella oralis and Parabrachiella dispar from Chile, and Parabrachiella chevreuxi from Argentina were included in the comparison. Our results confirmed that the three Parabrachiella species parasitizing mugilids, which had been identified by morphology, are valid entities. However, P. exilis was recently synonymized with P. mugilis. The latter species showed a great genetic distance from P. exilis (16%) and was closer to Parabrachiella fasciata (13%) and to species with long posterior processes. Parabrachiella exilis and P. platensis (parasite on Mugil cephalus and Mugil liza, respectively) had a low genetic distance (9%) and Parabrachiella kabatai (parasite of Isacia conceptionis) had a low genetic distance (12-13%) from P. fasciata, P. platensis and P. exilis. In addition, the three parasitic copepods from South America have short and round posterior processes compared to other species, which have long posterior processes. Most species with long posterior processes are clustered together in a Pacific Ocean clade (P. hugu from the North Pacific Ocean), with the exception of P. chevreuxi, which has been found in the South Atlantic Ocean. This study adds seven new sequences, making a total of nine sequenced South American species of Parabrachiella.

Freshwater as a Sustainable Resource and Generator of Secondary Resources in the 21st Century: Stressors, Threats, Risks, Management and Protection Strategies, and Conservation Approaches.

This paper is a synthetic overview of some of the threats, risks, and integrated water management elements in freshwater ecosystems. The paper provides some discussion of human needs and water conservation issues related to freshwater systems: (1) introduction and background; (2) water basics and natural cycles; (3) freshwater roles in human cultures and civilizations; (4) water as a biosphere cornerstone; (5) climate as a hydrospheric 'game changer' from the perspective of freshwater; (6) human-induced stressors' effects on freshwater ecosystem changes (pollution, habitat fragmentation, etc.); (7) freshwater ecosystems' biological resources in the context of unsustainable exploitation/overexploitation; (8) invasive species, parasites, and diseases in freshwater systems; (9) freshwater ecosystems' vegetation; (10) the relationship between human warfare and water. All of these issues and more create an extremely complex matrix of stressors that plays a driving role in changing freshwater ecosystems both qualitatively and quantitatively, as well as their capacity to offer sustainable products and services to human societies. Only internationally integrated policies, strategies, assessment, monitoring, management, protection, and conservation initiatives can diminish and hopefully stop the long-term deterioration of Earth's freshwater resources and their associated secondary resources.

Biometry of the fishes Barbus plebejus and Barbus capito from Coruh Basin, Turkey.

Metric and meristic characters are important to identify fish species and their habitat peculiarities. There are many species that belong to the fish genus Barbus, which is found in tropical and extratropical regions, but there are few studies covering the Coruh basin. Two subspecies of Barbus were found in the Coruh River system of Eastern Anatolia, Turkey: Barbus plebejus escherichi and Barbus capito capito. We collected specimens in seven localities for measurement. The number of vertebra were determined radiographically. Some specimens of B. capito capito have a sharper snout in the segments of Coruh where the water flows faster, suggesting a modification related to current. The biometric measurements vary geographically and could be related to abiotic and biotic factors in the habitat.

Livoneca sinuata (Crustacea; Isopoda; Cymothoidae) on Loligo vulgaris from Turkey, and unusual cymothoid associations.

In this paper, an unusual association of Livoneca sinuata (Crustacea; Isopoda; Cymothoidae) with the cephalopod Loligo vulgaris is reported for the first time from the Aegean sea coasts of Turkey. Moreover, a review of all the cases of unusual associations involving cymothoids is performed.

New host record, Parablennius sanguinolentus (Teleostei, Perciformes, Blenniidae) for Nerocila bivittata (Crustacea, Isopoda, Cymothoidae).

Nerocila bivittata (Crustacea, Isopoda, Cymothoidae) is reported for the first time on the caudal peduncle of the Rusty blenny, Parablennius sanguinolentus (Teleostei, Perciformes, Blenniidae), collected from Samsun Coast, Black Sea, Turkey. N. bivittata parasitized 7.4% (2 of 27) of the P. sanguinolentus collected.

Four parasitic Crustacean species from marine fishes of Turkey.

The aim of this work was to present a preliminary knowledge of the parasitic copepods of marine fish of Turkey. In this study, four parasitic crustaceans were reported from five different fish species found in Turkish seas: Lepeophtheirus europaensis (Zeddam, Berrebi, Renaud, Raibaut & Gabrion, 1988) was found on the gills of the European flounder, Platichtys flesus (Linnaeus, 1758 (Pleuronectidae); Nerocila bivittata (Risso, 1816) on caudal peduncles of east Atlantic peacock wrasse, Symphodus tinca (Linnaeus, 1758) (Labridae); Ceratothoa oestroides (Risso, 1826), on the mouth base of European pilchard, Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792) (Clupeidae); Anilocra physodes (Linnaeus, 1758), on the body surface of gilthead seabreams, Sparus aurata Linnaeus, 1758 (Sparidae) and on horse mackerel, Trachurus trachurus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Carangidae). Also, a list of the parasitic copepods previously reported from marine fishes of Turkey since 1931 is given, with a new report of the host species, the localities where they were collected and the corresponding authors. At the present time, 23 parasitic copepods have been recorded from 25 host fish of Turkish coasts. Lepeophtheirus europaensis Zeddam, Berrebi, Renaud, Raibaut & Gabrion, 1988 was reported for the first time in Turkish coastal waters.

First report of Pennella balaenopterae Koren and Danielssen, 1877 (Copepoda: Pennelidae) from Turkey.

A parasitic copepod, Pennella balaenopterae Koren and Danielssen, 1877 (Copepoda: Pennelidae), has been reported from the fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus (Cetacaea: Mysticeti), which was found dead on the Avluk beach (Yumurtalik seaport, Iskenderun Bay, Northeastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey) in 6 May, 2002. This is the first report of Pennella balaenopterae in the Turkish seas.

Five ectoparasites from Turkish fish.

Five ectoparasites were collected during the period of 2002-2005 from fish of Mediterranean Sea, Aegean Sea and inland waters of Turkey: Four crustaceans [Ergasilus mosulensis and Pennella instructa (Copepoda), Ceratothoa steindachneri (Isopoda) and Argulus foliaceus (Branchiura)] and one Annelida (Piscicola geometra) were found. The species, E. mosulensis, P. instructa and C. steindachneri have been reported for first time in Turkish waters, and A. foliaceus and P. geometra for the time from the Cavusçu Lake.

Paraergasilus longidigitus Yin, 1954 (Copepoda: Poecilostomatoida) infestations in the bleak, Alburnus alburnus Lin.,1758 from Enne Dam Lake.

In the present study, Paraergasilus longidigitus Yin, 1954 (Copepoda: Poecilostomatoida) was identified in branchial flaments of Alburnus alburnus Lin.,1758 caught from Enne Dam Lake for the first time in Turkish fauna. The study carried out monthly between June 98 - May 99, and a total of 208 fish was collected. The distribution of parasitic copepods in relation with the length, sex of fish were recorded. The fishes were infested with P. longidigitus with a mean intensity of 6.2 and an prevalence incidence of 56.7%. The infestation prevalence and mean intensity were seasonal with higher levels in autumn with 74.2%. No significant differences were noticed in the infestation of male and female fishes. A slight increase in the infestation prevalence was recorded as the size of fish increased.

Report on the monogenean Cyclocotyla bellones and three cymothoids parasitizing two fish species from the Aegean Sea coasts of Turkey.

In this paper, three separate instances of an association between an ectoparasite, Cyclocotyla bellones (Otto, 1821) (Monogenea: Diclidophoridae) and ectoparasitic isopods have been reported for the first time from the Aegean Sea coasts of Turkey. The isopods were all of the family Cymothoidae: Ceratothoa oestroides, C. parallela, Emetha audouini.

Biometry of the fishes Barbus plebejus and Barbus capito from Coruh Basin, Turkey

Metric and meristic characters are important to identify fish species and their habitat peculiarities. There are many species that belong to the fish genus Barbus, which is found in tropical and extratropical regions, but there are few studies covering the Coruh basin. Two subspecies of Barbus were found in the Coruh River system of Eastern Anatolia, Turkey: Barbus plebejus escherichi and Barbus capito capito. We collected specimens in seven localities for measurement. The number of vertebra were determined radiographically. Some specimens of B. capito capito have a sharper snout in the segments of Coruh where the water flows faster, suggesting a modification related to current. The biometric measurements vary geographically and could be related to abiotic and biotic factors in the habitat. Rev. Biol. Trop. 57 (1-2): 159-165. Epub 2009 June 30.