Thamir Katea Adday

Faustulidae sensu lato is a polyphyletic assemblage of digeneans that parasitise marine or euryhaline fish as adults in the gastrointestinal tract. In previous phylogenetic reconstructions, this family appeared to be represented by two groups nested within the Gymnophalloidea and Microphalloidea. However, the choice of a correct name for these groups was impossible without assessing the phylogenetic position of the type genus of the Faustulidae, Faustula Poche, 1925. In the current study, we provide morphological and molecular data on Faustula gangetica (Srivastava, 1935), which represents the first molecular data for the genus Faustula. Specimens of F. gangetica were found in Tenualosa ilisha (Hamilton) from Shatt Al-Arab River, southern Iraq. We report the presence of discernible muscle fibres between the pharynx and the oral sucker, as well as a zone of distinctly differentiated transversely oriented muscle fibres located anterior to the common genital pore in this species for the first time. All molecular markers used in our study (ITS2 region, 28S rRNA gene) indicated that the genus Faustula is nested within the clade of gymnophalloid faustulids. Thus, Faustulidae sensu stricto is confirmed to belong to the Gymnophalloidea.

A total of 51 references dealing with the occurrence of species of the genera Lamproglena and Pseudolamproglena infecting fish species in Iraq, until mid-2024 were consulted. A total of 22 fish species were found to be infected with two species of the genus Lamproglena (L. chinensis and L. pulchella) and two species of the genus Pseudolamproglena (P. annulata and P. boxshalli), in addition to some unidentified species of the genus Lamproglena. L. chinensis was recorded from two fish species, L. pulchella from 20 fish species, P. annulata from 12 fish species, P. boxshalli from five fish species and unspecified Lamproglena sp. from one fish species. Such parasites were recorded from their fish hosts from different water bodies (rivers, canals, lakes, marshes and drainage networks) as well as from some fishponds. Apart from Cyprinion kais and Garra variabilis, all the remaining fish species were infected with L. pulchella, and/ or other parasite species, with the maximum number of four parasite species was recorded only from Leuciscus vorax.

A new genus and species, Cepolacanthus kimi, of the family Taeniacanthidae is established based on adult female specimens collected from the gills of Bandfish Acanthocepola abbreviata (Valenciennes, 1835) (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Cepolidae) caught off the coast of Iraq. The new genus is characterised by the following combination of features: 1) the urosome is composed of five somites, with the last urosomite probably being a compound somite formed from the failure of the third and fourth abdominal somites to separate; 2) the seta on the maxillary basis is displaced proximally from the free spinulated element; 3) the terminal claw (endopod) of the maxilliped is long and attenuate; 4) the endopod of legs 2–4 is 2-segmented; and 5) the terminal exopodal segment of leg 4 bears a prominent distolateral protuberance. Cepolacanthus kimi gen. et sp. nov. is the first copepod reported from A. abbreviata and the second taeniacanthid species recorded from the Iraqi coast. A new replacement name, Suncheonacanthus nom. nov., is proposed for the preoccupied generic name, Triacanthus Kim & Moon, 2013.

A new species of bomolochid copepod Nothobomolochus ilhoikimi sp. n., (Cyclopoida), is described based on adult females collected from the gills of hilsa shad Tenualosa ilisha (Hamilton) (Actinopterygii, Clupeidae) captured in waters off Iraq. The new species differs from its congeners by having the following combination of characters in the adult female: 1) anal somite not spinulate; 2) paragnath blunt and robust; 3) maxilla with slender proximal segment and distal segment with 2 accessory processes terminally; 4) the distal exopodal segment of leg 1 with 3 small spines; and 5) the terminal endopodal segment of leg 4 carrying one long and one short spine. It closely resembles N. triceros (Bassett-Smith, 1898) but prominently differs in above features and also in host specificity. In addition, another bomolochid Orbitacolax hapalogenyos (Yamaguti and Yamasu, 1959) is redescribed based on material collected from Japanese threadfin bream Nemipterus japonicus (Bloch) (Perciformes, Nemipteridae) captured in waters off Iraq. Two species clusters, the hapalogenyos and the analogus groups are recognized in this genus.

Three parasitic copepods (Siphonostomatoida) belonging to three different genera were recovered from marine fishes of Iraq, and are listed here as new records. The sea lice Caligus epinepheli Yamaguti, 1936 (Caligidae) was collected from the Japanese threadfin bream, Nemipterus japonicus (Bloch). It had been frequently reported from teleost fishes around the world. The second record, comprising male and female, was another caligid, rarely caught from fishes — Hermilius longicornis Bassett-Smith, 1898, collected from the giant catfish, Netuma thalassina (Rüppell). This paper features the first description of the male of the latter species. The third record was the lernanthropid, Lernanthropinus temminckii (von Nordmann, 1864) (Lernanthropidae), redescribed based on the specimens collected from the greater lizard fish, Saurida tumbil (Bloch) (Synodontidae). In order to clarify its taxonomic status, our specimen was compared with the holotype of L. gibbosus (Pillai, 1964) from the collections of Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, and the syntypes of L. sauridae Do in Ho and Do, 1985 and L. temminckii from the collections of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. We found similarities in the morphology of the body, mouthparts, and legs 1–4 in three above-mentioned species. The prominent feature, the setation pattern of legs 1 and 2 was similar in all the female specimens examined. In the light of this, we formally relegate L. gibbosus and L. sauridae to synonymy with L. temminckii. Another important similarity is that Lernanthropinus gibbosus, L. sauridae, and L. temminckii have exclusively been parasitic on lizardfishes (Synodontidae). The attachment site of all three copepods reported form Iraq were the gill filaments.

A total of 188 fish samples of Nemipterus japonicus (Bloch, 1791) were collected from north west of the Arabian Gulf (latitudes 48° 44′ to 48° 46′; longitude 29° 46′ to 29° 47′) during the period from January 2011 till January 2012. The copepod Caligus epinepheli Yamaguti, 1936 was recorded from the gills during most months of the year. Descriptions of adult parasites and chalimi (larval stages of the parasites) were included. Females body length range was 1.38-2.55 (2.16) mm. Egg sac length 0.99-1.80 (1.31) mm, the number of eggs ranged from 13-22 (17) in each egg sac. The range of the males body length was 1.45-1.73 (1.59) mm. Statistical analysis showed no significant differences in the infestations of both sexes of the host (except in fish group with body length 18-21cm.).The highest incidence of infestation was recorded during March and June (57.1%), while the lower level of infestation was recorded during December (7.6%). The high intensity of infestation was recorded during April (10), while the lowest intensity of infestation was recorded in December (1).

A new species of Ergasilus von Nordmann, 1832 (Copepoda: Ergasilidae) parasitic on the gills of two gobiid fishes Boleophthalmus dussumieri Valenciennes and Bathygobius fuscus (Rüppell, 1930) from Shatt Al-Basrah Canal, Iraq, is described. The new species differs from all its congeners by a combination of character states including the shape of the body, and the structure and armature of the swimming legs.