Infections of Ligula intestinalis on Freshwater Fish in Kars Plateau of North-Eastern Anatolia, Turkey.

OBJECTIVE This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Ligula intestinalis and infections caused by these on freshwater fish in rivers and streams in the Kars plateau of north-eastern Anatolia, Turkey. METHODS This research was conducted between April and July 2011. Fish samples were caught via a casting net and an electro-shocker. The samples were immediately examined to determine the prevalence of L. intestinalis plerocercoids. RESULTS In this research, 310 stream fishes were studied to determine the prevalence of L. intestinalis plerocercoids. Detected fishes included 55.8% Capoeta capoeta, 24.2% Squalius cephalus, 11.0% Alburnus filippii, 5.8% Barbus plebejus lacerta, and 3.2% Alburnoides bipunctatus. L. intestinalis plerocercoids were found in 2.6% (8/310) of the examined fishes. The percentage of this parasite was found to be 38.9% (7/18) on B. plebejus lacerta and 0.6% (1/173) on C. capoeta. L. intestinalis plerocercoids were not observed on the other three fish species (S. cephalus, A. filippii, and Al. bipunctatus). CONCLUSION In this study, L. intestinalis plerocercoids were reported for the first time in the Kars stream and its distributaries on the Kars plateau in north-eastern Anatolia, Turkey.