Prevalence of parasitic diseases as a serious threat to the ornamental fish industry: A study on the prevalence of Argulus parasites in ornamental fishes of Iran

Ornamental freshwater fish farming is a popular pastime around the world. Considering that Iran's ornamental fish are mainly imported from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, there is the possibility of the transmission of parasite species through the import of these fish. Species belonging to the genus Argulus are one of the most important ectoparasites that have been identified in ornamental fish imported to Iran such as goldfish (Carassius auratus) and koi carp (Cyprinus carpio). These ornamental fish, in addition to being hosts for the species of Argulus, also increase the possibility of transmission of many parasites to native fishes by releasing to natural waters. Considering the importance of this issue, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Argulus in the ornamental and native fishes of Iran. The information presented in this study can be used to control and prevent the transmission of parasite species such as Argulus to aquatic ecosystems.