Survey of Some Parasitic Worms on Three Fish Species from Euphrates River at Al- Haklania District, Al-Anbar Province

Abstract

    In the present study, a total of 272 freshwater fishes belonging to three species namely: Cyprinus carpio, Barbus xanthopterus and Aspius vorax, were collected from Euphrates river at Al-Haklania distrct, Al-Anbar province  during the period from August 2008 till the end of July 2009, by using gill nets and cast nets.       Fishes were survyed for intestinal parasitic worms. The investigation revealed the infectation of these fishes with four parasitic species: the digenetic trematode  Aspidogaster limacoides from the intestine of C. carpio, B. xanthopterus and A. vorax, larval nematode Contracaecum spp. from the body cavity of C. carpio and the external surface of intestine of B. xanthopterus and A. vorax as well as two acanthocephalans: Neoechinorhynchus rutili  from the intestine of B. xanthopterus and A. vorax and N. iraqensis from the intestine of  A. vorax.