Gill parasites of Schizocypris altidorsalis (Pisces: Cyprinidae), a threatened freshwater fish in Iran

Shokoofeh Shamsi; Javad Khedri; Hassan Borji; Jaydipbhai Suthar; Nidhish Francis

doi:10.1071/MF23251

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Next Contents Vol 75(6)

Gill parasites of Schizocypris altidorsalis (Pisces: Cyprinidae), a threatened freshwater fish in Iran

Shokoofeh Shamsi

^A ^* , Javad Khedri ^B , Hassan Borji ^B , Jaydipbhai Suthar ^A and Nidhish Francis ^A

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Gulbali Institute, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia.

^B Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

^* Correspondence to: sshamsi@csu.edu.au

Handling Editor: Max Finlayson

Marine and Freshwater Research 75, MF23251 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF23251

Submitted: 19 December 2023 Accepted: 16 February 2024 Published: 28 March 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Context

Schizocypris altidorsalis is a fish of very restricted distribution, with its populations being known only from few water reservoirs on the border of Iran and Afghanistan.

Aims

The aim was to investigate the occurrence and diversity of host-specific Monogenea on this fish.

Methods

In total, 400 fish were purchased from the market and examined for the presence of Monogenea. Specimens were characterised morphologically and genetically.

Key results

In total, 26.5% of fish were found to be infected with Monogenea. Further morphological and molecular studies based on the sequences of the 18S, 28S and ITS2 regions suggested that they all belong to a new species, herein named as Paradiplozoon jalalii. Our results suggest that this monogenean is a highly specific parasite of Schizocypris altidorsalis.

Conclusions

Monogeneans are highly specialised host-specific parasites infecting fish gill. They can adversely affect respiration and excretory functions in fish, making them more vulnerable to illness, leading to population declines.

Implications

Determining effective strategies for safeguarding endangered fish can be challenging in conflict zones, such as the area studied here. Additionally, the parasite identified in our study, with its blood-feeding habits, could contribute to the extinction of its fish host, subsequently leading to its own extinction. An unanswered question lingers regarding the potential extinction of other symbionts of Schizocypris altidorsalis if the fish faces extinction.

Keywords: conservation, Diplozoidae, fish, freshwater fish, Iran, Monogenea, new species, threatened species.

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