31-38 31 F. T. Mhaisen et al Bull. Iraq nat. Hist Mus. (2003) 10 (1): 31-38 RECORDING OF FIVE MONOGENETIC TREMATODES FOR THE FIRST TIME FROM FISHES OF IRAQ Furhan T. Mhaisen*, Abbas N. Balasem, Ghassan H. Al–Khateeb and Kasim R. Asmar Ministry of Sciences and Technology, Al-Jadereah, Baghdad, Iraq *Dept. Biol., Coll. Educ. (Ibn Al- Haitham), Univ. Baghdad, Iraq SUMMARY A total of 589 fishes, belonging to 23 species were collected from eight different localities in north and mid Iraq during 1993. The parasitological inspection of such fishes revealed the presence of 59 parasite species and two fungi. Among such parasites, five monogenetic trematodes were recorded on the gills of some fishes for the first time in Iraq. These included:- Ancyrocephalus vanbenedenii on Liza abu from Tigris river at Al-Zaafaraniya, south of Baghdad; Dactylogyrus anchoratus on Cyprinus carpio from Tigris river at Al – Zaafaranya D. minutus on C. carpio from both Tigris river at Al-Zaafaraniya and Euphrates river at Al-Qadisiya dam lake; Discocotyle sagittata on L. abu from both the drainage system at Al-Madaen district, south of Baghdad and Euphrates river at Al-Qadisiya dam lake and Ancylodiscoides gomitus on Silurus triostegus from Tigris river at Al-Zaafaraniya. INTRODUCTION Mnogenetic trematodes are known to cause harmful damage to fish gills and skin (Roberts, 1989). They have direct life cycles, which enable them to transmit easily from one host to another, especially under conditions of intensive fish culture (Bauer et al., 1969). Detailed information on the parasitic fauna has a special importance for purposes of increasing the productivity of fish ponds or to improve the stocks of valuable commercial fisheries in natural waters (Shul’man, 1961). Gaining of such information comes from continuous surveys and inspection of fishes from different farms and water bodies. According to Mhaisen (Unpublished), 213 parasite species are so far known to infect fishes of Iraq. Among such parasites, 64 species belong to the monogenetic trematodes (Abdullah and Mhaisen, 2000). However, this number is increasing as new surveys add new items to this group of fish parasites. The present paper reports the occurrence of five monogenetic trematodes for the first time in Iraq from the gills of three fish species. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 589 fish specimens were collected, with the aid of cast nets, from eight localities in north and mid Iraq during the period from March to September 1993. These localities were:- 1- Tigris river at Mosul, Neinava province. 2- Tigris river at Tikreet, Salah Al-Deen province. 3- Tigris river at Al-Zaafaraniya, Baghdad province. 4- Diyala river at Al-Rustamiya, Baghdad province. 5- Euphrates river at Al-Qadisiya dam lake, Al-Anbar province. 32 Recording of five monogenetic trematods 6- Euphrates river at Faluja and Baghdadi towns, Al-Anbar province. 7- Northern part of the Main Drainage at Al–Mahmudia, Baghdad. 8- Drainage network at Al-Madaen, Baghdad province. The scientific names of the sampled fishes together with their numbers are alphabetically listed as given below:- 14 Acanthobrama marmid Heckel, 1843 14 Alburnus caeruleus Heckel, 1843 8 Alburnus capito Heckel, 1843 21 Aspius vorax Heckel, 1843 17 Barbus barbulus Heckel, 1849 24 Barbus belayewi Menon, 1956 15 Barbus esocinus (Heckel, 1843) 33 Barbus grypus Heckel, 1843 2 Barbus kersin Heckel, 1843 34 Barbus luteus (Heckel, 1843) 18 Barbus sharpeyi Günther, 1874 1 Barbus subquincunciatus Günther, 1868 55 Barbus xanthopterus (Heckel, 1843) 1 Carassius carassius (Linnaeus, 1758) 83 Chondrostoma regium (Heckel, 1843) 67 Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758 17 Garra rufa (Heckel, 1843) 1 Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch, 1794) 12 Leuciscus lepidus (Heckel, 1843) 132 Liza abu (Heckel, 1843) 3 Mystus pelusius (Solander in Russell, 1794) 5 Silurus triostegus Heckel, 1843 12 Varicorhinus trutta (Heckel, 1843) Most fishes were preserved in 5% formalin but some were brought alive to the laboratory. Fish inspection was achieved as soon as possible. Skin and gill smears were prepared and examined. Parasites were fixed either with 5% formalin or hot 70% alcohol. They were identified according to Bykhovskaya-Pavlovskaya et al. (1962). Coad’s (1991) list was followed for the scientific names of fishes. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The parasitological examination showed that 59 parasite species and two fungi occurred in/on fishes of the present investigation. The present paper deals only with five newly recorded monogeneans in fishes of Iraq. Details of the remaining parasites were given in separate articles. The newly recorded monogeneans are arranged here according to Bykhovskaya-Pavlovskaya et al. (1962). Family Dactylogyridae Dactylogyrus anchoratus (Dujardin, 1845) Dactylogyrus minutus Kulwiec, 1927 Ancyrocephalus vanbenedenii (Parona et Perugia, 1890) Ancylodiscoides gomitus (Jain, 1952) Family Discocotylidae Discocotyle sagittata (Leuckart, 1842) The following is a brief account on the description and occurrence of these parasites. 33 F. T. Mhaisen et al Dactylogyrus anchoratus (Dujardin, 1845) Fig. (1) Dactylogyridae. Two pairs of head organs and four eyes present. Small worms, length up to 0.5mm., width 0.10mm. The attachment organ (haptor) has 14 small marginal hooks and two strong median hooks. Length of marginal hooks 0.014-0.035mm. Median hooks long and thin, with no external (outer) root but with long internal (inner) root in form of continuation of somewhat curved base portion. Total length of median hooks 0.092-0.130mm. One small but massive connecting bar present, about 0.008 x 0.018-0.029mm. Tube of copulatory organ almost straight cylindrical; supporting bar with uncinate process surrounding tube; vaginal chitinoid armor absent; total length of copulatory organ 0.020-0.032mm. This species was detected in the present study from the gills of C. carpio from Tigris river at Al-Zaafaraniya during 1993. However, later reports on the occurrence of D. anchoratus from some fishes of Iraq were published before the existence of the present article. These included reports from C. carpio (Adday et al., 1999; Al-Aubaidi, 1999; Al-Aubaidi et al., 1999; Mhaisen et al., 1999; Mohammad- Ali et al., 1999; Sadek, 1999; Salih et al., 2000; Al-Tamimi, 2001; Al-Tamimi et al., 2001), from Aspius vorax (Mohammad-Ali et al., 1999), from Carassius auratus (Salih et al., 2000) and from C. carassius (Mhaisen et al., 1999; Mohammad-Ali et al., 1999; Salih et al., 2000). Dactylogyrus minutus Kulwiec, 1927 Fig. (2) Dactylogyridae. Two pairs of head organs and four eyes present. Small worms, length up to 0.48mm, width 0.11mm. The haptor has 14 small marginal hooks and two median hooks. Length of marginal hooks 0.013-0.023mm. Median hooks relatively short, with well developed external root and internal root recurving from base. Total length of median hooks 0.039-0.049mm. One large connecting bar present, almost straight with rounded and enlarged ends, about 0.003-0.004 x 0.025-0.032mm. Tube of copulatory organ smooth-walled, relatively short, straight or falcate; vaginal chitinoid armor absent; total length of copulatory organ 0.028-0.045mm. D. minutus of the present article was detected from gills of C. carpio from Tigris river at Al-Zaafaraniya and from Euphrates river at Al-Qadisiya dam lake during 1993. However, later reports of this parasite were published before the existence of the present article. These included reports from C. carpio (Al-Zubaidy, 1998; Adday et al., 1999; Al-Aubaidi, 1999; Al-Aubaidi et al., 1999; Asmar et al., 1999; Mohammad-Ali et al., 1999; Sadek, 1999; Al-Nasiri, 2000; Balasem et al., 2000; Salih et al., 2000; Al-Tamimi, 2001; Al-Tamimi et al., 2001; Al-Nasiri et al., 2002), from A. vorax and B. esocinus (Mohammad - Ali et al., 1999), from B. grypus (Salih et al., 2000), from B. xanthopterus (Al- Nasiri, 2000; Salih et al., 2000), from C. auratus (Salih et al., 2000), from C. carassius (Mohammad-Ali et al., 1999), from C. idella (Mohammad- Ali et al., 1999; Salih et al., 2000) and from L. abu (Salih et al., 2000). Ancyrocephalus vanbenedenii (Parona et Perugia, 1890) Fig. (3) Dactylogyridae. It is characterized with two pairs of eye spots, three pairs of head organs and an opisthohaptor distinctly set off from body proper, with seven pairs of small marginal hooks and two pairs of median hooks each with one connecting bar. Intestinal crura not uniting posteriorly. Testis oval to elliptical. Genital pore post bifurcal. Ovary simple, anterior to testis. Vagina present. A. venbenedenii was detected from the gills of L. abu from Tigris river al Al-Zaafaraniya, Baghdad. Although this is typically marine parasite (Bykhovskaya-Pavlovskaya et al., 1962), its occurrence on L. abu (the only freshwater species of the marine fish family Mugilidae in Iraq) is attributed to the entrance of some estuarine and even marine fishes from the Arab 34 Recording of five monogenetic trematods Gulf to Shatt Al-Arab river and from there to other inland waters of Iraq where L. abu is so abundant. Recently, Ho et al. (1996) found some typically estuarine ergasilid crustaceans on gills of L. abu from Shatt Al-Arab river. Later reports of this parasite were published before the existence of the present paper. These included its occurrence only from L. abu from both Tigris river at Al-Zaafaraniya (Adday et al., 1999) and from a man-made lake at Baghdad (Al-Nasiri, 2000). Ancylodiscoides gomitus (Jain, 1952) Fig. (4) Dactylogyridae. Body elongate. Opisthohaptor somewhat set off from body proper by a slightly constricted peduncle with 14 small marginal hooks and two pairs of median hooks, the dorsal hooks are similar in shape to, but much larger than the ventral hooks, each hooks supported by a transverse bar. Two pairs of eyes present. Intestinal limbs without diverticula, confluent posteriorly. Ovary and testis near middle of body. Vas deferens not looped around intestinal limb. Cirrus tubular, with accessory piece. Vagina presents, opening on right body margin. A. gomitus of the present study was detected from gills of S. triostegus from Tigris river at Al-Zaafaraniya, Baghdad. Adday et al. (1999) reported A. gomitus of the present study (as Haplocleidus gomitus) while surveying parasites of fishes from Tigris river at Al-Zaafaraniya. Discocotyle sagittata (Leuckart, 1842) Fig. (5) Discocotylidae. Body lanceolate, flat, length 6-9 mm., width 1.7-2mm. Anterior end narrow to vaginal pores, then expands. Opisthohaptor well set off from body proper, with four pairs of equally developed clamps and a pair of median crooked hooks on a short terminal lappet. Intestinal crura reaching to terminal haptoral lappet, with offshoots. Testes abundant, divided into numerous follicles, in posterior half of the body. Copulatory organ in form of chitinoid tube. Genital sucker absent. Ovary near anterior end of testes. Vagina Y-shaped, with two marginal pores. Vitellaria massive, extending in lateral fields between vagina and posterior end of body proper. D. sagittata of the present paper was detected from gills of L. abu from both Euphrates river at Al-Qadisiya dam lake and the drainage network at Al-Medaen, south of Baghdad. This is the first detailed report on D. sagittata in Iraq. However, Asmar et al. (1999) mentioned the occurrence of D. sagittata while surveying the parasites of fishes from Al- Qadisiya dam lake. D. sagittata is a haemophagous parasite causing anemia in mass infestations of up to 100 specimens per fish as well as some pathological effects and death (Bykhovskaya-Pavlovskaya et al., 1962). LITERATURE CITED Abdullah, S.M.A. and Mhaisen, F.T. 2000. Monogenetic trematodes parasitizing on freshwater fishes of Iraq. Abst. 2nd Sci. Conf., Dept. Biol., Coll. Educ. (Ibn Al-Haitham). Baghdad: 10-12 Oct. 2000. Adday, T.K.; Balasem, A.N.; Mhaisen, F.T. and Al-Khateeb, G.H. 1999. A second survey of fish parasites from Tigris river at Al-Zaafaraniya, south of Baghdad. Ibn Al- Haitham J. Pure Appl. Sci., 12(1): 22-31. Al-Aubaidi, I.K. 1999. Ectoparasites of the common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) in Al- Zaafaraniya fish farm in Baghdad and treatment of their infection with the monogenetic trematodes. M. Sc. Thesis, Uinv. Baghdad: 80pp. (In Arabic). 35 F. T. Mhaisen et al Al-Aubaidi, I.K.; Mhaisen, F.T. and Balasem, A.N. 1999. The external parasites of the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in Al- Zaafaraniya fish farm, Baghdad. Ibn Al-Haitham J. Pure Appl. Sci., 12(1): 32-40. Al- Nasiri, F.S. 2000. Parasitic infections of fishes in a man- made lake at Al-Amiriya region, Baghdad. M. Sc. Thesis, Univ. Baghdad: 133pp. (In Arabic). Al-Nasiri, F.S.; Mhaisen, F.T. and Al-Nasiri, S.K. 2002. Parasitic infections of the common carp, Cyprinus carpio in a man- made lake at Baghdad region. Iraqi J. Agric. (Spec. Issue), 7(1): 175-181. Al-Tamimi, S.S.J. 2001. Efficacity of formalin, chemogos insecticide and some plant extracts in treating the common carp, Cyprinus carpio, infested with monogenetic trematodes. Ph. D. Thesis, Univ. Baghdad: 99pp. (In Arabic) Al-Tamimi, S.S.; Mhaisen, F.T. and Balasem, A.N. 2001. Effect of dactylogyrosis and treatment with formalin on some blood parameters of the common carp Cyprinus carpio. Ibn Al-Haitham J. Pure Appl. Sci., 14(3): 10-14. Al-Zubaidy, A.B. 1998. Studies on the parasitic fauna of carps in Al-Furat fish farm, Babylon province, Iraq. Ph. D. Thesis, Univ. Babylon: 141pp. (In Arabic). Asmar, K.R.; Balasem, A.N.; Mhaisen, F.T.; Al-Khateeb, G.H. and Al-Jawda, J.M. 1999. Survey of the parasites of some fish species from Al-Qadisiya dam lake, Iraq. Ibn Al-Haitham J. Pure Appl. Sci., 12(1): 52-61. Balasem, A.N.; Mohammad-Ali, N.R.; Adday, T.K.; Ali, A.K. and Waheed, I.K. 2000. Parasitological survey on fishes in Hemrin dam lake, province of Diyala. J. Diyala, 1 (8 part 1): 106-114. (In Arabic). Bauer, O.N.; Musselius, V.A. and Strelkov, Yu. A. 1969. Diseases of pond fishes. Izdat. Kolos, Moscow: 220pp. (In Russian). Bykhovskaya-Pavlovskaya, I.E.; Gusev, A.V.; Dubinina, M.N.; Izyumova, N.A.; Smirnova, T.S.; Sokolovskaya, I.L.; Shtein, G.A.; Shul’man, S.S. and Epshtein, V.M. 1962. Key to parasites of freshwater fish of the U.S.S.R. Akad. Nauk, S.S.S.R., Moscow: 727pp. (In Russian). Coad, B.W. 1991. Fishes of the Tigris-Euphrates basin: A critical checklist. Syllogeus, 68: 1- 49. Ho, J.-S.; Khamees, N.R. and Mhaisen, F.T. 1996. Ergasilid copepods (Poecilostomatoida) parasitic on the mullet Liza abu in Iraq, with the description of a new species of Paraergasilus Markevich, 1937. Syst. Parasitol., 33: 79-87. Mhaisen, F.T. Index-catalogue of parasites and disease agents of fishes of Iraq. (Unpublished). Mhaisen, F.T.; Al-Saadi, A.A.J. and Al-Shamma’a, A.A. 1999. Some observations on fish parasites of Habbaniya lake. Ibn Al-Haitham J. Pure Appl. Sci., 12(1): 62- 67. 36 Recording of five monogenetic trematods Mohammad-Ali, N.R.; Balasem, A.N.; Mhaisen, F.T.; Salih, A.M. and Waheed, I.K. 1999. Observations on the parasitic fauna in Al-Zaafaraniya fish farm, south of Baghdad. Vet., 9(2): 79-88. Roberts, R.J. 1989. Fish Pathology, 2nd ed., Bailliere Tindall, London: 318pp. Sadek, A.A. 1999. Ectoparasites of the common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) fingerlings intensively stocked during autumn and winter. M. Sc. Thesis, Univ. Baghdad: 100pp. (In Arabic). Salih, A.M.; Balasem, A.N.; Al-Jawda, J.M.; Asmar, K.R. and Mustafa, S.R. 2000. On a second survey of fish parasites in Al-Zaafaraniya fish farm-Baghdad. J. Diyala, 1 (8 part 1): 220-238. (In Arabic). Shul’man, S.S. 1961. Specificity of fish parasites. In: Dogiel, V.A.; Petrushevski, G.K. and Polyanski, Yu.I. (Eds.). Parasitology of fishes (Engl. transl.). Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh and London: 104-116. 37 F. T. Mhaisen et al Bull. Iraq nat. Hist Mus. (2003) 10 (1): 31-38 خّر سة م خم ل جي س ح دية ت أ ن ما ألول مرة م شأ ك ا عراقأال ن ما س ن س حي ضمد م غسان هاشم الخطيب عباس ناجي بالسم، ،*فرحان سمرأوقاسم رضيوي غدادبوزارة العلوم والتكنولوجيا، الجادرية، ، جامعة بغداد)بن الهيثمإ(كلية التربية قسم علوم الحياة، * الخالصة ة ت ـود 589مجعت ىل مسك ام ً نوـع 23إ ـ ء ق أثـ ا ط الع را ـ ل و ـ ا يف ة خمتلـ ق ط ن من ا ن ـ ا ـم ن جــــود .1993 عــــ مســ ـ ك أل ــــ ه ا ه يف ث حـــ ب ف ل شــــ عــــ 59ك و ت ً ن ا يل ــــ طف ن ال ــــ نــــ م ن و و مـــ ني ع ت ا ريــ ط ف ّ .ال ر خ ن مل ا يـ د د ن ال ع مــ وا ســ نــ مخ ل ســ ي ت ت ا طف ليــ ل ه ا ذ هــ ني ن ــ شــأ مــ مل يــة ا ح د مــة أ يف ة ر ول مـ ـــ أل ك ا مســــ أل ا عــــ ض ب م صــ ــ غ ى قع ـــــ ّ .العـــــرا ر خ مل ا هـــــ ه ت كـــــ لــــ ً مـــــ ت ن مـــــ Ancyrocephalus vanbenedenii على مسكة اخلشين من ر دجلة عند على الكارب االعتيادي Dactylogyrus anchoratusالزعفرانية جنوب بغداد والنوع على الكارب االعتيادي من كل من ر D. minutusمن ر دجلة عند الزعفرانية والنوع Discocotyle النوع دجلة عند الزعفرانية ور الفرات عند حبرية سد القادسية و sagittata على اخلشين من كل من منظومة املبازل عند قاطع املدائن جنوب بغداد ور ري على اجل Ancylodiscoides gomitus الفرات عند حبرية سد القادسية والنــوع .اآلسيوي من ر دجلة عند الزعفرانية 38 Recording of five monogenetic trematods