FIRST REPORT OF MAZOCRAES ALOSAE (HERMAN, 1782), PRONOPRYMNA VENTRICOSA (RUDOLPHI, 1891) AND LECITHASTER CONFUSUS ODHNER, 1905 IN PONTIC SHAD ALOSA IMMACULATA BENNET, 1835 NEAR TURKISH COASTS OF THE BLACK SEA
A. Özer, T. Öztürk, Y. Kornyychuk
Abstract
In the present study, a total of 31 specimens of pontic shad, Alosa immaculata Bennet, 1835 (Pisces: Clupaeidae) caught in the Black Sea coasts near Sinop, Turkey in 2010 were investigated for their parasite fauna. Four parasite species were identified: Mazocraes alosae (Herman, 1782), Pronoprymna ventricosa (Rudolphi, 1891), Lecithaster confusus Odhner, 1905 and Hysterothylacium aduncum (Rudolphi, 1802). H. aduncum was the core species with infection prevalence of 96.7% and mean intensity value of 97.1 ± 18.1 parasites per infected fish, followed by M. alosae (61.3% and 3.2 ± 0.5), P. ventricosa (35.5% and ± 12.5) and L. confusus (29% and 8.2 ± 2.8), respectively. In the present study, Mazocraes alosae, Pronoprymna ventricosa and Lecithaster confusus are reported from pontic shad off Turkish coasts of the Black Sea for the first time.
