Helminth parasites of fish of the Kazakhstan sector of the Caspian Sea and associated drainage basin

Abstract

SummaryThe northern section of the Caspian Sea is an important fishery for Kazakhstan. In the present study, a total of 606 individuals of 13 fish species were collected. For each of Abramis brama, Alosa saposchnikowii, Atherina boyeri caspia, Carassius auratus, Clupeonella cultriventris, Cyprinus carpio, Liza aurata, Leuciscus aspius, Rutilus rutilus caspius, Sander lucioperca, Sander marinus, and Sander volgensis 50 individuals were examined whilst 6 individuals of Siluris glanis were examined. The nematode parasite Anisakis schupakovi was found in all fish species except Liza aurata, Carassius aurata, Cyprinus carpio and Rutilus rutilus at intensities ranging from 1 to 1197 parasites per infected fish. Trematodes of family Diplostomidae were also isolated from all fish except Alosa saposhnikowii, Clupeonella cultriventris and Sander marinus at intensities ranging from 1 to 242 parasites per infected fish. Other parasites found included the nematodes Porrocaecum reticulatum, Contracecum sp, Camallanus sp and Eustrongylus excisus; the cestodes Neogryporhynchus cheilancristrotus, Bothriocephalus opsariichthydis; the monogenean parasites Mazocraes alosa, Ancyrocephalus paradocus, Gyrodactylus spp, Ligophorus vanbenedenii and Dactylogyrus spp; and the crustacean parasites Ergasilus sp. and Synergasilus sp. In addition one unidentified species of nematode and a bivalve of the genus Unio was recovered from Rutilus rutilus caspius. There was no association between Fulton’s condition index and intensity of parasite infection.

Results of Parasitological Research on Hydrobionts from Water Bodies in West Kazakhstan Region

“…Until recently, the parasite was only detected in marine ichthyofauna, but recently there have been increasing reports of anisakids in freshwater fish close to the coast (Dana et al 2018;Falla-Zuñiga et al 2021;Ozuni et al 2021). Similar reports apply to rivers in the Caspian Basin (Pilin et al 2014;Abdybekova et al 2020;Zhatkanbaeva et al 2021;Nurzhanova et al 2022). Predominantly Nurzhanova et al (2022), Zhatkanbaeva et al (2021) and Pilin et al (2014) reported the presence of anisacid larvae in predatory fish such as perch, pike, and zander.…”

Studies on the population biology of helminth parasites of fish species from the Caspian Sea drainage basin

“…All fish were collected in late spring to early summer. These included 450 fish collected in 2018 reported in a preliminary study (Abdybekova et al ., 2020). The species composition of the fish was determined on the basis of taxonomic descriptions according to Berg (1949), Kazancheyev (1981) and Reshetnikova (2002).…”

“…Such studies may also contribute to ameliorating the public health risk of some helminths as some species such as the asp and pike perch may be heavily infected with Anisakis spp. (Abdybekova et al ., 2020).…”

“…A previous, more limited study failed to find any association between the condition of the fish and the intensity of infection of individual fish (Abdybekova et al ., 2020). Using additional data collected over a further two years, we were able to explore these effects more fully.…”

Qualitative Structure of Sander Marinus Cuvier, 1828 in the Mangistau Coast of the Middle Caspian.

“…его улов на Каспии составлял около 2,5 тыс. тонн в год [1,2]. В последующие годы численность морского судака на Каспии резко снизилась.…”