Skin ectoparasites of fish from the lower flow of the Sava river

Abstract

Research on the skin ectoparasites of fish from the lower flow of the Sava River showed an extremely high level of biodiversity of the skin ectoparasitic protozoa. During the study period, we sampled 120 freshwater fish. We deteremined 15 fish species and most of them were classified in the family Cyprinidae. The others were classified in the fish families: Percidae, Siluridae, Ameiuridae, Esocidae and Gobiidae. In total, 49 individuals showed the presence of different types of the skin ectoparasites from the protozoa kingdom. Determination of the protozoa was done to the species level for three parasitic protozoa (Ichthyobodonecator, Chilodonella cyprini and Ichthyophthirius multifiliis), and for two of them to the genus level (Trichodina and Apiosoma).