Ectoparasites fauna of goldfish (Carassius auratus) in north Iran

The present studywas carried out to survey ectoparasit fauna of gold fish (Carassius auratus) in north of Iran (Mazandaran province). A total of 200 samples were obtained from 10 ornamental fish supply centers and transferred alive to the laboratory. In this study, the following ectoparasites were isolated: Ichthyophthirius multifillis, Trichodina spp., Gyrodactylus spp., Dactylogyrus vastator, Dactylogyrus baueri and Argulus coregoni. The results revealed that 28.5% of sampled goldfish were infested with ectoparasites. The frequency of protozoan infestations were 15% (9% I. multifillis and 6% Trichodina spp.), the frequency of monogeneanectoparasite was 12.5% (5% Gyrodactylus spp., 5% D.vastator and 2.5% D.baueri) and that of crustaceans (A.coregoni) was 1%. The most frequently reported infestation was due to I. multifillis causative agent of white spot disease. Enhancing the health management through improving water quality and bio-security is the most effective way to prevent the parasite infestations.