First record of the monogenic Gyrodactylus Magadiensis Dos Santos, Maina and Avenant-Oldewage, 2019 from the gills of the red belly cichlid Coptodon Zillii in Iraq
This study reports the first record of the monogenean parasite Gyrodactylus magadiensis Dos Santos, Maina, and Avenant-Oldewage )2019) in the gills of the redbelly cichlid, Coptodon zillii, in Iraq. A total of 37 fish were collected from the Tigris River from July to November 2024. Then, the examined specimens yielded a prevalence of 13.5%. The morphological measurements and description of Gyrodactylus are based on the opisthaptor or the haptor, which is a posterior attachment apparatus. The hamulus was narrow and long; the ventral bar had small, rounded processes, with a distinct, tongue-shaped membrane. The marginal hooks, where the slender sickles are angled forward. Morphological analysis of the haptoral sclerites matched the original description of G. magadiensis. Despite notable variations in the lengths of the anchor shaft and ventral bar, these differences suggest morphological plasticity in both host and parasite. These findings expand the known host fish range and geographic distribution of G. magadiensis, contributing to the understanding of monogenean diversity among cichlids in Iraq.
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