Determinaton of metazoan parasite fauna of mugilid Liza saliens collected from Sinop coasts

Liza saliens (Risso, 1810) is a mugilid species which is distributed all over the world including surrounding seas of our country and has an economical value. In this research study, a total of 165 individuals of leaping mullet collected from Sinop coasts of the Black Sea in the period between September 2015 and Augist 2016 was investigated for parasites. Internal organs (kidney, gall bladder, urinary bladder, stomach, intestine, liver, gonads) and external organs (gills, fins, skin) were examined microscopically at parasitology laboratory at Sinop University Faculty of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. Eleven parasite species (Schikhobalotrema sparisomae, Saccocoelium tensum, Saccocoelium obesum, Ligophorus cephali, Solostamenides mugilis, Neoechinorhynchus (Hebesoma) agilis, Ergasilus lizae, Myxobolus parvus, Myxobolus sp., Sphaerospora mugilis, Hysterothylacium aduncum) belonging to 5 phyla (Platyhelminthes, Acanthocephala, Arthropoda, Cnidaria, Nematoda) were identified. Parasite species, their microhabitat selections, infection prevalences, mean intensities, abundances and statistical analysis were calculated and presented in tables and figures. The overall infection prevalence, mean intensity and mean abundance values together with confidence intervals were 65.5% (57.9–72.4), 26.2 (20.1–36.0) and 17.2 (12.6–23.3), respectively. The overall maximum infection prevalence was dominated by monogenean Ligophorus cephali, followed by myxosporean Myxobolus parvus and Digenea-group, while the others were rare throughout the investigation period. The overall maximum mean intensity and mean abundance values were dominated once again by L. cephali, followed by copepod E. lizae and nematod H. aduncum. Digenea-group, N. agilis and H. aduncum had their highest prevalence values in spring while L. cephali had its highest prevalence value in winter and M. parvus and Myxobolus sp. in autumn. Ergasilus lizae, Sp. mugilis and So. mugilis were found only in one season throughout sampling period. Comparison of seasonal differences in prevalence by sampling seasons are presented in; while there is a statistically significant difference in prevalence between seasons in Digenea-group, L. cephali and N. agilis, there is no significant difference between seasons in other parasite species. Statistically significant differences in the infection indices of all parasite species between male and female fish are presented. Digenea-group, E. lizae and M. parvus had higher prevalence values in female while L. cephali, N. agilis, Myxobolus sp. and H. aduncum had higher prevalence values in male hosts While there are statistically significant differences in the prevalence values between sex of host fish in L. cephali, there is no significant difference between different sexes of host fish in the rest of parasite species. In the present study, Liza saliens has been the only object of a very detailed parasitological investigation in the Black Sea coasts of Turkey and the results obtained here are thought to be important for the development of preventive strategies for possible parasitic diseases to be encountered in the future studies for the cultivation of this fish species. In addition, this study will be designed in a manner similar to other parasitological research, which is expected to be an important source for. Keywords: Leaping mullet, Liza saliens, parasite fauna, Black Sea