The Trematode Parasites of Lophius piscatorius (Angler Fish) from the Aegean Sea.

OBJECTIVE: There is no study on the trematode parasites of Lophius piscatorius. The aim of this study is to address the lack of knowledge about the parasites of angler fish from the coasts of Turkish seas. METHODS: Frozen individuals of L. piscatorius from the coasts of Izmir were brought to Ataturk University, and their visceral organs were parasitologically investigated. Parasites were fixed with AFA (Acetic acid-Formaline-Alcohol) fixative and permanently mounted with Canada balsam. RESULTS: Two digenean species were recorded: Prosorhynchoides gracilescens (Bucephalidae), which is commonly found in L. piscatorius, and Aphallus tubarium (Cryptogonimidae), which is rarely harbored in L. piscatorius. CONCLUSION: Both species comprise the newly discovered parasite fauna of Turkey.

A description of Echinorhynchus baeri Kostylew, 1928 (Acanthocephala: Echinorhynchidae) from Salmo trutta in Turkey, with notes on synonymy, geographical origins, geological history, molecular profile, and X-ray microanalysis.

A population of Echinorhynchus baeri Kostylew, 1928 with 18-24 rows of 8-10 proboscis hooks each and long fusiform eggs measuring 95-110 × 18-22 µm collected from Salmo trutta (Salmonidae) in a branch of the Murat River in Turkey is described and specimens are designated as neotype. Specimens of two similar populations of E. baeri (E. baeri Kostylew, 1928 and E. sevani Dinnik, 1932) were previously described from Salmo ischchan in Lake Sevan, Armenia. Waters of Lake Sevan and the Murat River were previously joined during the Middle Miocene-Pliocene. The two populations from Lake Sevan and ours from Turkey had identical morphology and size eggs. The proboscis armature and eggs, among other features of our Turkish specimens, proved intermediate between E. baeri and E. sevani, thus eliminating the significance of the described differences between these two species and confirming their synonymy with priority to Echinorhynchus baeri (junior synonym: Echinorhynchus sevani Dinnik, 1932). Echinorhynchus baeri is apparently a highly variable species. The two descriptions from Lake Sevan did not include features or illustrations of females, except for references to trunk and egg size but the eggs were illustrated. Complete morphometric comparisons are made and females of the Turkish material are described for the first time. DNA sequencing (mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene; nuclear 18S rRNA gene) results from two available E. baeri individuals were equivocal. New features to the Acanthocephala include the presence of rootless uncalcified apical proboscis hooks studied with X-ray microanalysis.

Metazoan Parasites of Antarctic Fishes.

To date, there have been nearly 100 papers published on metazoan parasites of Antarctic fishes, but there has not yet been any compilation of a species list of fish parasites for this large geographic area. Herein, we provide a list of all documented occurrences of monogenean, cestode, digenean, acanthocephalan, nematode, and hirudinean parasites of Antarctic fishes. The list includes nearly 250 parasite species found in 142 species of host fishes. It is likely that there are more species of fish parasites, which are yet to be documented from Antarctic waters.

Orientocreadium batrachoides Tubangui, 1931 (Orientocreadiidae): the only trematode parasite of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) (Clariidae) from the Asi River (Southern Turkey).

OBJECTIVE: Some information is available about the parasite fauna and incidence for Clarias gariepinus in Turkey, but digenean parasites have received little attention. The purpose of the study is to contribute to the parasite fauna of Turkey. METHODS: From 2007 to 2008, a total 63 Clarias gariepinus that were caught in the Asi River were purchased from the fish market in Hatay and brought on ice to the Parasitology Research Laboratory at Atatürk University. The fish were dissected. The obtained parasites were fixed with AFA, dyed with Mayer's Carmalum, and mounted with Canada Balsam. RESULTS: Forty-eight fish were infected with the Orientocreadium batrachoides. The prevalence of the parasite was 76.2% overall, and 100% in the largest size class of C. gariepinus. There was no significant correlation between fish size and number of parasites. CONCLUSION: Our sample of C. gariepinus from the Asi River exhibited high rates of incidence of O. batrachoides which is the first record from Turkey. It was detected that the specimens of O. batrachoides in Turkey are larger than previously reported samples. This is the first clearly documented report of O. batrachoides in teleost fish of Turkey.

Digenean parasites of Sarpa salpa (Linnaeus, 1758) from the Eastern Mediterranean coasts of Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study is to determine the digenean parasite fauna of Sarpa salpa (Sparidae) from the Mediterranean Sea. METHODS: The fish samples from the coasts of Mersin-Anamur were brought to the Parasitology Research Laboratory of the Biology Department of Science Faculty of Atatürk University, dissected and investigated parasitologically. The parasites that were found in the visceral organs were fixed with A F A (Alcohol-Formalin-Acetic Acid). The dying process of the parasites was carried out with Mayer's Carmalum and mounted with Canada Balsam. RESULTS: Mesometra orbicularis (Rudolphi 1819) Lühe, 1901, Mesometra brachycoelia Lühe, 1901, Centroderma sp. (Stossich 1883) (Mesometridae) and Robphildollfusium fractum (Rudolphi 1819) Paggi et Orecchia, 1963 (Gyliauchenidae) were determined. Although these parasites were detected in Sarpa salpa (Linnaeus 1758) from different localities of the Mediterranean Sea, they have not been found in the fish of the coasts of Turkey so far. CONCLUSION: The mentioned 5 species of parasites are the first records for the parasite fauna of Turkey.

Acanthocephaloides irregularis n. sp. (Acanthocephala: Arhythmacanthidae) from marine fishes off the Ukrainian Black Sea coast.

Acanthocephaloides irregularis n. sp. (Arhythmacanthidae) is described from four species of marine fishes in the Gulf of Odessa and Sukhyi Lyman, Ukrainan Black Sea waters, making it the tenth species of the genus. The hosts are the combtooth blenny Parablennius zvonimiri (Kolombatovic) (Blenniidae), the mushroom goby Ponticola eurycephalus (Kessler) (Gobiidae), the tubenose goby Proterorhinus marmoratus (Pallas) (Gobiidae) and the black-striped pipefish Syngnathus abaster Risso (Syngnathidae). The new species is most similar to its closest relative, Acanthocephaloides propinquus (Dujardin, 1845), in proboscis shape and armature (12 longitudinal rows of 5 hooks) and the shape of the trunk, reproductive system and lemnisci, but differs in having randomly distributed trunk spines. These trunk spines are organised in circular rings of individual spines separated by aspinose zones. The new species is also unique in having an anterior trunk collar, a very large triangular cephalic ganglion, nucleated pouches at the posterior end of the proboscis receptacle, and hooks and spines with roots bearing anterior manubria. Valid and invalid species of Acanthocephaloides Meyer, 1932 are listed and a key to all ten species is included.