Identification and molecular investigation of Diplostomum in Capoeta umbla caught from some water sources in Elazig region

In this study, identification of the cytochrome c oxidaseI (COI) gene region in mitochondrial DNA of the Diplostomum specimens, which are parasitic in the eyes of Capoeta umbla fish naturally distributed in Karakaya Dam Lake, Keban Dam Lake and Lake Hazar, within the borders of Elazığ province was performed. Moreover morphological parameters such as height, age, weight and sex of the obtained fish samples were evaluated. According to the results, while there is more parasitism in female fishes, the number of parasites increases according to height, age and weight increase. A total of 8 haplotypes were determined using sequence analysis of the mtCOI gene region and phylogenetic trees were constructed by determining the genetic distance according to these haplotypes and determining the Maximum Likelihood ML, Neighbor Joining (NJ), Minimum Evolution (ME), Maximum Parsimony (MP) and Bayes methods. As a result, the lowest genetic distance was 0,00209 and the highest genetic distance was 0,01264. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a closer relationship between haplotype 3 and haplotype 4. It has been suggested that all the samples studied belong to Diplostomum spathaceum and that the parasite may have been spread by the main hosts between study sites.