Monogenean Parasites of Fishes from the Euphrates River at Al-Musaib City, Mid Iraq

A total of 472 fish specimens belonging to 24 species from the Euphrates River at Al-Musaib city, mid Iraq were inspected for parasites during the period from July 2006 till the end of June 2007. Thirty-six monogenean species were detected. These included one species each of genera Ligophorus, Mastacembelocleidus, Octomacrum, Diplozoon, Eudiplozoon and Microcotyle, two species of both Dogielius and Thaparocleidus, three species of Paradiplozoon, five species of Gyrodactylus and 18 species of Dactylogyrus. In addition, 35 new host records in Iraq were reported for 20 species of these monogeneans. Number of fish hosts reported for these monogeneans fluctuated from one host in case of 18 monogenean species to a maximum of nine hosts in case of Dactylogyrus extensus. Among the inspected fishes, number of monogenean species fluctuated from a minimum of one monogenean species in four fish species to a maximum of 11 monogenean species in case of Carasobarbus luteus, while five fish species showed no any monogenean infections.