First record of solostamenides paucitesticulatus kritsky and oktener, 2015 (Monogenoidea, Microcotylidae)‎ from gills of Abu mullet Planiliza Abu (heckel, 1843)‎ from Euphrates river of Samawa City, Southern Iraq

الملخص EN

A total of 54 abu mullet Planiliza abu (Heckel, 1843) were collected from two stations (north and south stations) along the Euphrates River near Samawa City, Al-Muthanna province and were examined during the period from October 2016 till September 2017 for parasites.

Six out of 35 examined fishes from the north station (17.1%) and one out of 19 examined fishes (5.3%) from south station were infected with the microcotylid Solostamenides paucitesticulatus Kritsky & Öktener, 2015.

The parasite was illustrated and described, and it is considered as a new record for the parasitic fauna of fishes of Iraq.

S.

iraqensis Al-Nasiri & Balbuena, 2018 is considered a synonym of S.

paucitesticulatus.