Abstract. Neoechinorhynchus (Neoechinorhynchus) zabensis sp. n. (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) is described from Capoeta damascina (Valenciennes, 1842) (type host) and Capoeta trutta (Heckel, 1843) in the Greater and Lesser Zab Rivers, northern Iraq. The new species is unique among all other species of the genus by its characteristic paired para-vaginal muscular appendage and fragmented giant nuclei in the lemnisci. Eleven of the other 88 valid species of Neoechinorhynchus and N. zabensis have middle and posterior hooks of equal length. However, N. zabensis is distinguished from the others by size of trunk, proboscis, proboscis hooks and lemnisci, number of giant nuclei, position of female gonopore, and geographical and host distribution. It is also distinguished from six other species of Neoechinorhynchus previously reported from Iraq. Other distinguishing features are also included.

Contracaecum is a genus of nematodes belonging to the family Anisakidae, that parasitise many fishes which act as an intermediate or paratenic hosts, while the piscivorous birds and mammals are definitive hosts. A total of 44 third larval stage of Contracaecum were collected from 13 infected freshwater fishes belonging to five different species in different water bodies in Sulaimani Province, Kurdistan Region, Iraq from January to the end of December 2018. In this investigation, 966 fishes were collected including six species of Nemacheilidae, five species of Cyprinidae, three species of Leuciscidae, two species of Xenocyprididae, one species of each of Bagridae, Heteropneustidae, Mastacembelidae, Mugilidae, Siluridae and Sisoridae. This study revealed that five fish species (Cyprinus carpio, Luciobarbus barbulus, L. esocinus, L. xanthopterus and Mastacembelus mastacembelus) were infected with Contracaecum larvae with the prevalence of 2.05%, 0.92%, 1.92%, 19.35% and 1.06%, respectively. The Contracaecum larvae were morphologically studied by compound light microscope and the molecular analyses was done by amplification, sequencing and comparing different gene loci (ITS1, ITS2 and COX2) of isolated third larval stage of Contracaecum. The ITS1, ITS2 and COX2 were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced. The sequences of ITS1, ITS2 and COX2 reveal that all Contracaecum larvae from all infected fishes represented exactly one species (Contracaecum rudolphii B) based on compering and identity percentage in Gene Bank database. Phylogenetic analysis of the genotype (for ITS1) was described. The genetic characterization of the Contracaecum larvae in the present study is available in the GenBank database and they were deposited in GenBank and their accession numbers were demonstrated.

Two species of Rhabdochona Railliet, 1916 (Nematoda: Rhabdochonidae) were recorded from cyprinid fishes in the basin of the River Tigris, northern Iraq: adults of R. (R.) tigridis Rahemo, 1978 (emend.) from Capoeta trutta (Heckel) and Cyprinion macrostomum Heckel and fourth-stage larvae of R. (Globochona) sp. from C. macrostomum, Barbus barbulus Heckel and Barbus kersin Heckel. Light and scanning electron microscopical studies of this material made possible a detailed redescription of R. tigridis, which is characterised by 14 anterior prostomal teeth and filamented eggs. It differs from the most similar species, R. fortunatowi Dinnik, 1933, mainly in the presence of large deirids close to the prostom. R. grandipapillata Rahemo & Kasim, 1979 is considered a junior synonym of R. tigridis. Fourth-stage larvae of Rhabdochona (G.) sp., characterised by eight anterior prostomal teeth and the presence of caudal processes on the tail tip, represent the first record of a Rhabdochona species of the subgenus Globochona Moravec, 1972 in Iraq.

A total of 226 freshwater fishes, belonging to 14 species, were collected from Darbandikhan Lake, southeast of Sulaimania city, Kurdistan region, Iraq, from March 2012 to the end of October 2012. The fishes were examined for monogeneans parasites. The study revealed the existence of 25 species of parasites including 20 species of Dactylogyrus, three species of Dogielius and two species of Gyrodactylus. Five species of these parasites (D. dyki, D. persis, D. mascomi, D. suchengtaii and G. molnari) were recorded for the first time in Iraq, and four species (D. barbiodies, D. formosus, D. lenkorani and G. sprostonae) were recorded in Kurdistan region. Also, some fish species were recorded as new hosts for some parasite species. The present study revealed that D. suchengtaii and D. carassobarbi had the highest prevalence f 100% and 90.90%, respectively in the lake.

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