A survey of parasitic infection of ornamental fishes in Urmia, Iran

Nowadays, ornamental fish are considered to be of value in most countries due to their beauty and variety. The living, beautiful and lively environment of aquariums has made people to be interested in having an aquarium, however small in size, at their home or work. The main aim of this study is to identify the parasitic elements in ornamental fish (92 Goldfish , 32 Oscar fish, 18 Flower fish, 24 Arvana fish, and 41 Discus fish) that are culled from fish breeding centers in Urmia. Classification of the fish was carried out based on their morphological characteristics. The results of the study indicate the presence of parasitic infection of these fish in four protozoan species including Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, Trichodina spp, chilodonella spp and Hexamita spp. Also, Diplostomum spataceum, Dactylogyrus spp and Gyrodactylus spp were observed from monogenea and digenea trematodes and lernaea spp from crustose parasites.