IDENTIFICATION OF MYXOZOA AND PROTOZOA PARASITES OF BARBOID FISHES OF WATER RESOURCES IN KHOUZESTAN PROVINCE

A survey on parasitic infection of Barboid fishes of Khouzestan Province in southwest Iran was conducted from spring 2002 to autumn 2004. A total of 296 specimens from five fish species were examined. The specimens were collected from five stations including Ahwaz, Golestan, Mollasani and Dez Reservoir on Karoun River and Hamidieh Reservoir and Shadegan Lagoon on Karkheh River. The fishes were transported alive to the laboratory where they measured and weighed and then killed by cutting their spinal cord. Eleven parasites were separated of which seven were identified to the species level and four to the genus level. Of the protozoans we found Ichlyophthirius multifiliis, Trichodina sp., Goussia sp., Balantidium sp. and of the myxozoans we observed Myxobolus persicus, Mkaruni, M nodulointestinalis, Miranicus, Mmesopotamia, Myxobolus sp., Myxidium rhodei, and Myxidium pfiefferi. We reported three new parasites and eleven new hosts for Iranian freshwater fishes and three new hosts for three Myzoxoans.