A new nematode species, Philometroides acanthopagri sp. nov. (Philometridae), is described from gravid and subgravid specimens found in the musculature near pectoral fins and in nasal cavity of the yellowfin seabream Acanthopagrus latus (Houttuyn) (Sparidae, Perciformes) from marine waters off the coast of southern Iraq. Based on light and scanning electron microscopical examination, the new species differs from its congeners in a combination of morphological and biometrical features. It is the first species of Philometroides reported from a sparid fish and the first representative of this genus recorded from fishes in the Arabian Gulf. A key to Philometroides species parasitizing marine and brackish-water fishes is provided.

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A total of 140 specimens of penaeid shrimps from Metapenaeus affinis and Penaeus semisulcatus were collected from different parts of Iraqi coastal waters to detect three species of viruses Infectious Hypodermal and Hematopoietic Necrosis virus (IHHNV), White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) and Monodon Baculovirus (MBV). PCR and nest PCR used to identify the viruses. The main important results in this study were detection two of more important viruses, (IHHNV) and (WSSV). So, we thought the studied shrimp was not suitable for aquaculture stock without screening because which may play a vertical and horizontal vector role. This study represents the first attempt to detect viral shrimp diseases in Iraq.

The object of this study was to detect the bacterial species that founded in infected common carps Cyprinus carpio in semi-closed systems in two districts of Basrah province. Bacterial gill disease, skin ulcer disease and intestine inflammatory disease were recorded. In the present study, Aeromonas sobria (38.46) was the predominant species, followed by Citrobacter freundii (29.23), Vibrio cholerae (21.53) and Serratia fonticola (10.76%). Identification of the isolates was carried out depending on the morphology of colony, specific media and identification using VITEK 2 system (Biomerieux- USA). Five antibiotic discs were used for antibiotic sensitivity test by the disk diffusion method. A. sobria was sensitive to Nitrofurantion, V.  cholerae was sensitive to Ampicillin, C. freundii was resistance for all antibiotics while S. fonticola was sensitive to Gentamicin. This study represented the first investigation in Iraq on bacterial isolates from semi- closed system.

A total of 110 specimens of cultured grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella (Pisces: Cyprinidae) were collected from three different fish pond stations in Basrah province, during the period from March till July 2007. Postmortem parasitological examinations indicated infection of the grass carp with the nematode Pseudocapillaria tomentosa and this infection occurred only in Faddak fish ponds during all months of investigation. The maximum incidence of infection was 26.6% in April, while the maximum intensity of infection was 8.5 in June. The present finding of this nematodes represents its first record in Iraqi fishes.