Morphological features of three species of Phyllodistomum (Trematoda: Gorgoderidae) from some marine fishes in the southern Black Sea

Abstract

Three species of the genus Phyllodistomum Braun, 1899 are identified infecting marine teleost fishes from Sinop coast (southern Black Sea, Turkey). Those are Phyllodistomum acceptum from Parablennius sanguinolentus; Phyllodistomum crenilabri from Symphodus tinca and Symphodus ocellatus; and Phyllodistomum sp. from Gobius cruentatus. Standard parasitological investigation methods were implemented, and morphological diagnostic features of these species were studied in detail under both light microscope and scanning electron microscope. The measurement data of all morphological diagnostics are provided; photomicrographs of each part of the parasites are presented. Infection prevalence and intensity values are given, as well as morphometric data for each parasite species. This research is the first on Phyllodistomum sp. presence in Gobius cruentatus. Moreover, this study is the first one, in which the tegumental surface of P. acceptum and P. crenilabri was examined by scanning electron microscopy.