Checklists of Protozoans and Myxozoans of Freshwater and Marine Fishes of Basrah Province, Iraq

Abstract

Reviewing the literature on all the protozoans and myxozoans parasitizing freshwater and marine fishes of Basrah Province, Iraq indicated the presence of 25 protozoans (one sarcodinid, six mastigophorans, one opalinid, four epicomplexans and 13 ciliophorans) as well as ten myxozoans. Some of these parasites infect skin, fins and gills of their hosts while others are internal parasites of fish muscles, body cavity and different body viscera. Apart from one taxon which was recorded from a marine locality, the remaining taxa were recorded from freshwater localities. The total number of protozoan and myxozoan species recorded for each fish host species fluctuated from a minimum of one parasite species in 11 fish hosts to a maximum of 15 parasite species in Silurus triostegus. Number of fish hosts reported for these parasites fluctuated from one host in case of 21 parasite species to a maximum of 19 host species in case of the ciliophoran Trichodina domerguei