Metazoan Parasites of Nase (Chondrostoma nasus L., 1758) from

BIHAREAN BIOLOGIST 8 (2): 95-97
Article No.: 141116
©Biharean Biologist, Oradea, Romania, 2014
http://biozoojournals.ro/bihbiol/index.html
Metazoan Parasites of Nase (Chondrostoma nasus L., 1758)
from Tahtalı Dam Lake (İzmir Province, Turkey)
Seda DEMİR* and Hatice KARAKİŞİ
Ege University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, İzmir, Turkey.
*Corresponding author, S. Demir, E-mail: [email protected]
Received: 24. February 2014 / Accepted: 11. April 2014 / Available online: 17. July 2014 / Printed: December 2014
Abstract. In this research, metazoan parasites of nase (Chondrostoma nasus L., 1758) in Tahtalı Dam Lake were studied from July 2007
to June 2008. During the study, total 111 nase were caught monthly and 3 species of parasites were recorded: Dactylogyrus sp.
(Monogenea), Contracaecum sp. larvae (Nematoda) and Lernaea cyprinacea (Crustacea). The parasite species were new records for
Chondrostoma nasus in Turkey.
Key words: Nase (Chondrostoma nasus), ectoparasite, endoparasite, Tahtalı Dam Lake.
Introduction
Results
The nase (Chondrostoma nasus L., 1758) is one of cyprinid fish
in Turkey. This species lives in fast-flowing rivers with rock
or gravel bottom. Because of its bony meat, this species has
no economic importance as human food. They are used as
fish feed in fish farms. The nase is very widespread in Central and East Europe, and lives particularly West and
Northwest Anatolia regions of Turkey. Its living space has
rather expanded in the last century (Geldiay & Balık 2007).
There have been studies about parasites of freshwater
fish up to this time. To our knowledge, there is only 1 published reports of parasites in Chondrostoma nasus from Turkey: Özbek & Öztürk (2010) reported Ligula intestinalis plerocercoid from Kunduzlar Dam Lake. There are some studies about parasites of the other Chondrostoma species: Dörücü
& İspir (2005) reported Bothriocephalus gowkongensis, Diplostomum sp., Neoechinorhynchus rutili from Chondrostoma
regium; Koyun (2011) reported Dactylogyrus elegantis and
Dactylogyrus vistulae from Chondrostoma regium; Neary et al.
(2012) detected Dactylogyrus vistulae and Dactylogyrus alatus
f. major from Chondrostoma regium in Turkey.
The aim of this study is the identification of the parasites
of the nase from Tahtalı Dam Lake. We also, aimed to determine prevalence and intensity of parasite species.
We investigated total 111 nase in Tahtalı Dam Lake and detected 3 parasite species: Dactylogyrus sp. (Monogenea), Contracaecum sp. larvae (Nematoda, Fig. 1), Lernaea cyprinacea
(Crustacea, Fig. 2). According to our observations, 55 of 111
fish were infected with parasites. Infected organs, infection
prevalence of the parasites in Chondrostroma nasus were
given in Table 1.
Materials and Methods
The study was carried out from July 2007 to June 2008 in Tahtalı
Dam Lake (38°08’09”N, 27°05’22”E). During this study, 111 nase
were caught. After capture, the alive fish were transported to the
laboratory. They were kept in aquaria. They were measured and
weighed before examination. The mean ± SD total length of the
specimens was 21.11±3.34 cm (range 14.0–26.6 cm) and a mean total
weight of specimens was 123.72±51.69 g (range 37.0–228.0 g). Afterwards, they were dissected as soon as possible within few days. The
skin, fins and gills were examined for ectoparasites. Then, the digestive tract and inner organs were investigated for endoparasites. They
were dissected out and placed in petri dishes with physiological solution. The dissection of organs were done by using stereomicroscope. The parasite specimens were fixed in hot 70% ethyl alcohol or
Bouin’s fluid. The nematode and crustacean specimens were covered
with glycerine-gelatine. Preparation of the slides was performed according to Bylund et al. (1980). Prevalence, mean intensity and mean
abundance were calculated according to Bush et al. (1997). The taxonomical determination was done according to BykhovskayaPavlovskaya et al. (1964), Markevich (1951), Yamaguti (1961).
Table 1. Infected organs, infection prevalence of the parasites
in Chondrostroma nasus from Tahtalı Dam Lake.
Total Infected
Prevalence
no. of fish
(%)
fish number
111
55
49.5%
Parasite species
Infected organs
Dactylogyrus sp.
Gills
Lernaea cyprinacea
Skin, Fins
Contracaecum sp. larvae Liver, intestine
In this study Dactylogyrus was the dominant taxon. Infection with Dactylogyrus sp. was recorded on the gills of nase
in all months with the exception of August and December.
Dactylogyrus sp. infection was the highest in May.
Contracaecum sp. larvae were observed from intestine
and liver of Chondrostoma nasus. A total of 16 of 111 (14.4%)
fish were infected with Contracaecum sp. larvae. These parasite species were recorded in the nase throughout the year
except for July 2007, August 2007, December 2007 and February 2008. Contracaecum sp. larvae infection were the highest in March.
Lernaea cyprinacea was recorded from skin and fins of the
nase. A total of 41 of 111 (36.9%) fish were infected with Lernaea cyprinacea. These species were detected in the nase
throughout the year except for August 2007 and December
2007. The infection rate was the highest in February. Infection prevalence, abundance and mean intensity of the parasites in nase were given in Table 2. Monthly distribution of
the parasites of Chondrostoma nasus were given in Table 3.
Discussion
In this study, 3 metazoan parasite species were recorded in
nase from Tahtalı Dam Lake: Dactylogyrus sp. (Monogenea),
Contracaecum sp. larvae (Nematoda) and Lernaea cyprinacea
S. Demir & H. Karakişi
96
a.)
b.)
Figure 1. General view of (a) Contracaecum sp. Larvae and its anterior side (b).
a.)
b.)
Figure 2. General view of (a) Lernaea cyprinacea and its gonads (b).
Table 2. Infection prevalence, abundance and mean intensity of the parasites
in Chondrostroma nasus from Tahtalı Dam Lake.
Parasite species
Dactylogyrus sp.
Contracaecum sp. larvae
Lernaea cyprinacea
Infected fish
number
52
16
41
Prevalence
(%)
46.8
14.4
36.9
Total no. of
parasites
n.d.
39
60
Mean
abundance
n.d.
0.35
0.54
Mean
intensity
n.d.
2.43
1.46
n.d. not detected
Table 3. Monthly distribution and the infection rates of metazoan parasites of Chondrostoma nasus from Tahtalı Dam Lake.
Months
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
Total
No. of
examined
fish
11
1
11
7
8
2
13
7
7
13
13
18
111
Dactylogyrus Contracaecum
Lernaea
cyprinacea
sp.
sp. larvae
Number of infected fish
2
0
2
0
0
0
6
2
4
4
1
3
4
2
3
0
0
0
7
2
7
4
0
5
4
2
3
8
3
6
9
3
5
4
1
3
52
16
41
Dactylogyrus
sp.
18.18
0
54.54
57.14
50.00
0
53.84
57.14
57.14
61.53
69.23
22.22
46.84
Contracaecum
sp. larvae
Infection rate (%)
0
0
18.18
14.28
25.00
0
15.38
0
28.57
23.07
23.07
5.55
14.41
Lernaea
cyprinacea
18.18
0
36.36
42.85
37.50
0
53.84
71.42
42.85
46.15
38.46
16.66
36.93
(Crustacea).
genus Dactylogyrus is the largest helminth genus parasitizing
Dactylogyrus sp. was observed on the gills of nase. The many fish species and generally has high host specificity.
Metazoan parasites of nase
When they are too much, they can cause serious damage to
the gills (Markevich 1951).
Contracaecum sp. larvae were recorded in liver and intestine of Chondrostoma nasus. Because of these specimens were
at the larval stage, they couldn’t be identified at the species
level. Small crustaceans are the first intermediate hosts of
this nematode. The larvae of this genus use aquatic invertebrates and fish species (Cyprinidae, Percidae, Esocidae, Clupeidae) as a second intermediate host or paratenic host.
Adult Contracaecum are parasites of fish-eating birds (Ardea,
Pelecanidae, Ciconiae) and marine mammals (Moravec
1994).
The high prevalence of Contracaecum in freshwater fish
may affect their health. Acha and Szyfres (1987) reported a
decrease in weight of the host and the lipid content of the
liver or even the death of young fish when larvae invade the
cardiac region. Humans can accidentally be infected with
larval stages of this nematode, leading to a severe disease
generally known as anisakidosis (Shamsi & Butcher 2011).
Contracaecum sp. larvae were previously reported in Barbus plebejus escherichi from Doğancı Dam Lake (Aydoğdu et
al. 2002), in Carassius carassius from Uluabat Lake (Emence
2004), in Carassius carassius from Kovada Lake (Tekin-Özan
& Kır 2005), in Carassius carassius and Carassius auratus from
Enne Dam Lake (Koyun & Altunel 2007), in Vimba vimba
from Gölbaşı Dam Lake (Aydoğdu et al. 2008), in Rutilus
rutilus and Scardinius erythrophthalmus from Kocadere Stream
(Selver 2008), in Pseudophoxinus battalgil from Antalya
streams (Aydoğdu et al. 2011), in Cyprinus carpio from
Tahtalı Dam Lake (Karakişi & Demir 2012) in Turkey.
Lernaea cyprinacea was recorded from skin and fins of the
nase. These species are an important crustacean parasites of
freshwater fish. They are commonly known as anchor worm.
Lernaea species have three free-living naupliar stages, five
copepodid stages and one adult stage in the life cycles
(Grabda 1963). Lernaea cyprinacea in some cases brings about
serious losses to the fish, and it sometimes leads to death.
Khalifa and Post (1976) reported that Lernaea cyprinacea leads
to death especially when it settles on the gills. Lernaea cyprinacea was recorded in some of the aquarium fish (Poecilidae)
in Mersin district (Koyuncu & Dönmez 2006) in Turkey.
In this study, three metazoan parasites of nase (Chondrostoma nasus L., 1758) from Tahtalı Dam Lake were determined. These parasite species were all new records for Chondrostoma nasus in Turkey.
Acknowledgements. This study was supported by the Ege
University Research Foundation (project no: 2008-FEN-020). This
study is a part of corresponding author’s MSc thesis.
97
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