A survey of the ciliate freshwater fish-parasite fauna of Yugoslavia

Abstract

During 1991-1998 a total of 24 freshwater fish species from thirteen localities, embracing lowland fish-ponds, rainbow trout rearing farms, and open waters, were examined. Samples were taken in all seasons for most of the localities. An occurrence of twelve species and two subspecies of ectoparasitic Ciliata from four families was found both on skin and gills of fish, as follows: • family Ophrioglenidae: Ichthyophthirius multifiliis; • family Chilodonellidae: Chilodonella cyprinid, Chilodonella hexasticha; • family Epistylididae (Apiosomatidae): Apiosoma piscicolum piscicolum, Apiosoma piscicolum perci, Apiosoma piscicolum var. minor, Apiosoma robustum, and Apiosoma meganicronucleatum; • family Trichodinidae: Trichodina acuta, Trichodina nigra, Trichodina nobilis, Trichodinella epizootica, and Trichodinella subtilis. Some of these parasites appeared only seasonally, whereas others occurred through the whole year with more or less prominent seasonal dynamics.