New record of Protochondracanthus alatus (Heller, 1865) (Copepod: Cyclopoida) infesting gill filaments of Psettodes erumei fishes North West Arabian gulf

Abstract

In the present study ten specimens of flat fish Psettodes eurmei were collected from Al-Fao market South of Iraq, eight of them were infected with the parasitic copepod Protochondracanthus alatus, which characterized by the body of the adult female is elongated and depressed, head oval, longer than wide. The parasite of current study show similarity with Protochondracanthus alatus were described by (Heller,1865) and therefore is now considered as new record in Iraqi marine water.