Helminth communities of the Turkish endemic fish, Pseudophoxinus crassus (Ladiges, 1960): four helminth parasites for a new host record

Abstract

Summary Tuz Gölü (Salt Lake) Basin is one of the largest hypersaline lakes in the world and of extremely high biological importance owing to its high diversity and high level of endemism. It is hypothesized that the basin environment and the endemism of Pseudophoxinus crassus – a species of ray‐finned fish in the Cyprinidae family and found only in Turkey – might contribute to the host‐specific parasite characters. A total of 92 P. crassus specimens were collected by electrofishing between spring 2009 and autumn 2010 from the İncesu Stream in Konya Province, Turkey. By the end of the study period, four parasitic helminth species (Gyrodactylus latus, Asymphylodora imitans, Bothriocephalus acheilognathi and Pomphorhynchus laevis) were recorded. All had been reported previously from other hosts (non‐host specific). Among these parasites G. latus and A. imitans are new records for the helminth fauna of Turkey. Prevalence and infestation intensity, length classes, and sex compositions of infested populations, as well as the seasonality of infestation were obtained and the results compared with other studies.

Prevalence and intensity of Allocreadium isoporum (Digenea: Allocreadiidae) in three endemic species of cyprinids (Capoeta spp.) in Turkey, in relation to season, host size and sex

“…In contrast, other studies have revealed the relationship between parasite infection and the sex of the fish host. For example, some studies have found that relationship in acanthocephalans, e.g., Aydogdu, Erk'akan, Keskin, Innal, and Aslan () in Pomphorhynchus laevi s infecting the fat spring minnow Pseudophoxinus crassus from the Incesu stream, Aydogdu, Emre, & Emre () for Neoechinorhynchus agilis in the thicklip grey mullet Chelon labrosus from the Beymelek Lagoon, and Aydogdu, Keskin, Erk'akan, & Innal, () for P. laevis in the Beysehir dace Squalius anatolicus from the Sarısu stream. In all these studies, authors found that parasite infection levels were higher in male hosts than in females.…”

Some Parasitological Features of Paradiplozoon bliccae (Monogenea: Diplozoidae) Infestation in Pseudophoxinus burduricus - An Endemic Fish Species from Doğanbaba Creek (Lake Salda, Turkey)

“…larvae attached in the abdominal cavity of Pseudophoxinus battalgilae that lived in Antalya Bay with a total prevalence 47.6 %. Aydoğdu et al (2014) conducted a study in İncesu Stream -Konya Province and four parasitic helminth species were detected; Asymphylodora imitans (28.2 %), Bothriocephalus acheilognathi (1.08 %) and Pomphorhynchus laevis (52.1 %) in the intestines of Pseudophoxinus crassus while Gyrodactylus latus (5.4 %) in the gills of host fishes. The study was carried out in Düger Creek by Innal et al (2017) and Lernaea cyprinacea were found in P. burduricus overall prevalence (28.3 %) as mentioned above.…”

Sex is a crucial factor in the immune response: an ichthyological perspective

“…In this case, the prevalence of different kinds of parasites was examined, revealing intriguing patterns. It was described that the parasites Pomphorhynchus laevis and Gyrodactylus latus significantly affect males, whereas the parasitic infection caused by Asymphylodora immitans had a prevalence in females within the same fish (Aydogdu et al, 2014).…”