Copepods are a common component of ectoparasite assemblages of all kinds of fish, from all environments and ecosystems. In the present investigation, a total of 80 specimens of the rosy goatfish Parupeneus rubescens were randomly collected from the Arabian Gulf, and then transported to the laboratory in order to be dissected and examined for the presence of copepodid infections. Copepod parasites were recovered from the gills of the infected fish. One copepod species within the Caligidae family was identified and labeled as Caligus elongates von Nordmann, 1832. This copepod species examined using light and scanning electron microscopy to observe the most characteristic generic features. Morphological and morphometric characterizations revealed differences between the identified species and other related copepodid species. Therefore, the present study showed that the rosy goatfish is a new host for this Caligus species and added a new locality record for this infection.

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Due to the presence of different parasite taxa and other disease-causing agents, all fish species are extremely prone to dangers. As a result, the current study focused on some of the monogenean parasites that infect one of the economically important fish species, the soldier bream Argyrops filamentosus, from the Red Sea coast of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Following that, thirty A. filamentosus fish specimens were examined for monogenean parasites. The parasitic species were isolated and morphologically and molecularly studied. The presence of one monogenean species of Haliotrema susanae (F: Ancyrocephalidae) infecting gills was observed in 50% of the investigated fish species. The ancyrocephalid species Haliotrema susanae is characterized by having all generic features within the genus Haliotrema. It could be distinguished from other species within this genus by the male copulatory organ including a copulatory tube with no accessory piece and a haptor made up of two pairs of anchors, two bars, and seven pairs of marginal hooks. As ectoparasitic taxa of the investigated sparid fish, the current study of Haliotrema species constitutes the first report of this genus. A molecular phylogenetic analysis based on the partial 28S rRNA gene region was analyzed to investigate the phylogenetic affinity of this parasite with the genus Haliotrema belonging to Ancyrocephalidae. This study considers the addition of a new genetic sequence for this parasite species.

Background: Sparidae is a fish family that belongs to the order Perciformes and is commonly known as sea breams and porgies. Many species are included in this family and divided into 71 genera that could be barcoded using mitochondrial DNA genes. These fish are vulnerable to different parasitic taxa that affect fish status. The present study is aimed to confirm the molecular status of Argyrops filamentosus fish via the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (COI) gene and to study the pathological changes of gills infested by monogenean parasites. Methods: Thirty Argyrops filamentosus fish were collected from Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and identified molecularly via the mtCOI gene. Also, gills were isolated and examined microscopically for presence of monogeneans. Histopathological impacts of monogeneans on fish gills were studied in comparison to the gills of non-infected fish. Result: The DNA of fish species was barcoded and showed highly stringent criteria with the previously Argyrops filamentosus sequence data. The obtained host DNA sequences were deposited in NCBI database under accession number OP975758.1. Examination of the investigated fish gills revealed the presence of three monogenean species Protolamellodiscus senilobatus Kritsky, Jiménez-Ruiz and Sey, 2000, Acleotrema maculatus Morsy, El-Fayoumi and Fahmy (2014) and Haliotrema susanae Soo, 2019. Monogenean parasites penetrated deeply with their haptor to the gill lamella and caused damage and degeneration of epithelial cells leading to the formation of a cup-shaped depression. Therefore, the mtDNA gene has the ability for host identification and heavy monogeneans infections lead to severe damage to fish gills.