Parasite fauna of Chub, Squalius turcicus De Filippi, 1865 (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from some rivers of the Southern Caspian Sea basin in Iran

This study was carried out to investigate the parasite fauna of Chub, Squalius turcicus De Filippi, 1865 from the Siah, Neka and Haraz rivers of the Southern Caspian Sea basin in Iran, during 2015. Individuals of S. turcicus were caught by nets during the spring to winter of 2015. Fish were transferred to specific laboratory alive and then were used for parasitological investigations. Total percentage of parasites infection of Chub in the Haraz, Siah and Neka rivers were 48.7, 71.8 and 57.4%, respectively. Different parasite species including monogenean (Gyrodactylus mutabilitas, Dactylogyrus vistulae and Paradiplozoon), protozoa (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis and Trichodina sp.) and myxozoa (Myxobolus muelleri) were identified in the fish gill, intestine and skin. Significant differences were observed in the parasites’ prevalence among the rivers and seasons. Such differences may be due to impact of environmental conditions, especially water quality, on fish parasite fauna. This is the first report of M. muelleri in the intestine of S. turcicus in Iran.