4th International Conference on Applied Engineering and Natural Sciences, Konya, Türkiye, 10 - 13 Kasım 2022, ss.271
Like every organism, fish are affected by various pathogens and harmful organisms. Although
the disease effect on fish is very rare in natural habitats, diseases cause economic losses in intensive fish
farming facilities, Diseases in fish are divided into two main classes based on biotic and abiotic factors.
Biotic disease agents are viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. Parasitic diseases are most commonly
reported from fish as protozoans, trematodes, nematodes, cestodes, crustaceans and leeches. Although mites
are rarely reported on fish, it is argued by researchers that they should be classified as parasites. In this
study, the malawi blue dolphins (Cyrtocara moorii), showing disease symptom, were examined in terms of
disease. In this context, 12 malawi blue dolphins in a 150 liter closed system aquarium with a water
temperature of 23℃ were examined in terms of parasites. Adult, young and egg individuals of the mite
species were found in the preparations prepared by the scraping method, and mite were found in all of the
fish. Mites species were identified as Trhypochtoniellus longisetus using Berles' identification key It has
been determined that this mite species causes hemorrhage in the skin and mouth, and a thrush-like structure
in the gills. All fish infested with T. longisetus gradually died. As a result, it is proved that this mite can be
defined as a parasite for fish. This study is the first case of this mite species (T. longisetus), which is
described as a fish parasite, on malawi blue dolphins (C. moorii) fish. The reason for the severe infestation
may be due to the recirculating aquaculture system. Since fish infested with this mite species have a high
mortality rate, the fish should be quarantined and inspected for parasites before transporting to the aquarium
unit.