Document Type : Short paper
Authors
1
Department of Aquatic Animal Health and Diseases, Iranian Fisheries Research Organization, Tehran, Iran
2
Department of Aquatic Animal Health and Diseases, Faculty of Specialized Veterinary Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
3
Department of Food Hygiene, Faculty of Specialized Veterinary Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
In the present study, we reported infection with eighteen species of the genus Dactylogyrus, belong to the
family Dactylogyridae from five breeder fish species, including common carp (Cyprinus carpio), grass carp
(Ctenopharyngodon idella), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), big head carp (Hypophthalmichthys
nobilis) and black carp (Myelopharyngodon piceus) which introduced and imported to Iranian freshwaters
from Russia, Romania, Hungary and China over the last 40 years. The infection was also found in Carassius
auratus gibelio, it is not known when this fish species was introduced into the country. The Dactylogyrus
spp. were as follows: Dactylogyrus achmerovi, D. anchoratus, D. aristichthys, D. baueri, D. dulikeity, D.
ctenopharyngodonis, D. extensus, D. hypophthalmichthys, D. intermedius, D. intermedioides, D. lamellatus,
D. magnihamotus, D. nobilis, D. sahuensis, D. suchengtaii, D. taihuensis, D. vastator and D. wegeneri.
Among these, D. vastator and D. anchoratus infecting common carp and D. lamellatus infecting grass carp
are very harmful and were responsible for high mortalities observed in fry and fingerling production in Iran.
Uncontrolled import of live fish into the country can lead to transmission of pathogenic monogeneans or
other group of parasites to native fishes, causing a great economical and ecological threat to valuable native
fishes. For example, transmission of D. anchoratus from common carp to Barbus sharpeyi, an important
native fish species, despite of the high host-specificity of monogeneans, indicates the possibility of
transmission of exotic monogenean parasites to native hosts. It is strongly suggested that the risk of
introducing exotic pathogens along with importing fish or any other living organism to the country, should be
assessed well in advance, in order to protect native species and the ecosystem.
Keywords
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