Özer, Ahmet Sinop University - Faculty of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Turkey , Öztürk, Türkay Sinop University - Faculty of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Turkey , Yurakhno, Violetta Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas, Russia , Kornyychuk, Yulia M. Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas, Russia

First report of Eimeria sardinae (Apicomplexa: Coccidia) from the Turkish coast of the Black Sea

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Whiting Merlangius merlangus L., 1758 collected from the Black Sea coasts of Sinop, Turkey, during May 2011 – May 2013 period were examined for parasites and one of 530 examined fish specimens caught in March 2012 had numerous oocysts of Eimeria sardinae (Thélohan, 1890) Reichenow, 1921 in its intestinal content. The parasite has not been reported previously from the Turkish Black Sea coasts as well as from this fish. Hence this is a new record for the Turkish parasite fauna. Nevertheless, whiting might not be a true host of this parasite. E. sardinae oocysts found in the intestine content of whiting might have come from natural preys such as Sprattus sprattus or Engraulis encrasicolus that are known host of this parasite.

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Eimeria sardinae , Merlangius merlangus , Sprattus sprattus , Engraulis encrasicolus , Black Sea

Ege Journal Of Fisheries an‎d Aquatic Sciences

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