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Volume 24, Issue 73, January - June, 2023

First record of two parasitic species Microcotyle erythrini and Clavellotis briani on the gills of Dentex macrophthalmus Fish in the Coastal Water of Lattakia, Syria

Taghrid Layka¹, Badr Al-Ali², Muhammad Nassif³

¹Associated Professor in Fisheries Resources Department, High Institute of Marine Research, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria
²Associated Professor in Marine Biology Department, High Institute of Marine Research, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria
³Master Student in Marine Biology Department, High Institute of Marine Research, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria

ABSTRACT

The current study aimed to investigate the infection with Monogenea ectoparasites that infect Dentex macrophthalmus in the Syrian Marine Water and to determine the prevalence rates and mean intensity of infection isolated from this fish, which in turn contributes to the enrichment of the database of fish parasites in the Syrian Marine Water. Where, 115 individuals were collected from the locations of Ras Al-Baseet and the Port of Fishing during the period from the beginning of June 2021 to the end of June 2022. The external organs (gills, oral cavity) of all caught fish samples were examined to detect infection with external parasites. In this research, the two parasitic species Microcotyle erythrini (Microcotylidae) and Clavellotis briani (Lernaeopodidae) were isolated from the gills of Dentex macrophthalmus fish, where the number of infected fish with these two parasitic species was 42 out of 115 Dentex macrophthalmus fish examined. The number of fish infected with the parasitic species M. erythrini was 36 fish distributed as follows: (15, 21) infected fish at the locations of Ras Al-Baseet, the Port of Fishing respectively, with an average total rate of infection (31.16%) at the location of Ras Al-Baseet and (41.65%) at the location of the port of Fishing, while the total intensity of infection was similar at both locations with an average of (1.23, 1.33) parasite/fish at Ras Al-Baseet, the Port of Fishing respectively. The number of infected fish with the parasitic species C. briani was 6 fish distributed as follows: (1, 5) infected fish in the locations of Ras Al-Baseet, the Port of Fishing respectively, with a total rate of infection (12.5%) and (53.3%) and a total intensity of infection (1, 2.6) parasite/fish at Ras Al-Baseet, the Port of Fishing respectively. This is the first time that these ectoparasites have been isolated from Dentex macrophthalmus fish in the Syrian Marine Water. The highest Percentage and Intensity of infection were recorded during summer and spring for: Microcotyle erythrini, Clavellotis briani in the both locations.

Keywords: Syrian Marine Water, Dentex macrophthalmus, Microcotyle erythrini, Clavellotis briani