title: Morphological re-description and new geographical records for three digenean parasites infecting African sharptooth catfish Clarias gariepinus (Pisces: Clariidae) in Egypt.
abstract: Sixty specimens of African sharptooth catfish Clarias gariepinus (Clariidae) were collected during the period of March 2014-February 2015 from boat landing sites and fishermen of the River Nile at Beni Suef Governorate, Egypt, and examined for the presence of digenean parasites. The morphology of these parasites was studied by using light microscopy to describe morphological and morphometrically measurements for different body parts. Three digenean species belonging to three different genera were collected from various organs within the examined fish species. A certain degree of site specificity was also observed, with Thaparotrema botswanensis being found only in the gall bladder of C. gariepinus, while both Pseudoholorchis clarii and Glossidium pedatum were found only in the intestine and thus seem to occupy a certain niche within their host. This study represent as the first record of T. botswanensis and G. pedatum from C. gariepinus, as well as the first report of the genera from the River Nile in Egypt. In addition, re-description of P. clarii clarifies measurements for some body parts.
authors.affiliation: Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. rewaida@sci.cu.edu.eg.
authors.forename: Rewaida
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abdel-Gaber
authors.affiliation: Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni Suef University, Beni Suef, Egypt.
authors.forename: Thabet
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakarn
authors.affiliation: Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni Suef University, Beni Suef, Egypt.
authors.forename: Gamal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: El-Shahawi
authors.affiliation: Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni Suef University, Beni Suef, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hoda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: El-Fayoumi
authors.affiliation: Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni Suef University, Beni Suef, Egypt.
authors.forename: Rana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mohammed
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002397:Catfishes / Q000469:parasitology*; D004534:Egypt; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D005843:Geography; D007422:Intestines / Q000469:parasitology; D008853:Microscopy; D010271:Parasites / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D045483:Rivers / Q000469:parasitology
keywords: Clarias gariepinus; Clariidae; Digenea parasites; Freshwater fish; Morphological description