metazoan parasites from freshwater fishes of northwest iran

a systematic parasitological examination was carried out on 266 freshwater fish speci-mens, belonging to 11 species, from northwest of iran during the period from summer 2001 to summer 2002. twelve parasite species including diplostomum spathaceum, al-locreadium isoporum, ligula intestinalis, digrama sp., caryophylleus laticeps, rhabdocona hellichi, eustrongylides excisus, argulus foliaceus, lamprolegna compacta, myxobolus musayevi, m. cristatus, and neoechinorhynchus rutili were isolated and identified. it was concluded that sander lucioperca, albornoides bipunctatus, capoeta capoeta, carassius carassius and barbus capito were five new hosts for those parasites in iranian freshwater fishes. furthermore, myxobolus cristatus is recorded for the first time among iranian freshwater fishes. all the parasites were collected from natural waters, but these rivers form a very important water reservoir in this area and these parasites can injure cultured fishes under certain conditions.