Ecological and Statistical Perspectives on Host-Parasite Interactions in Cyprinus carpio

Year 2025, Volume: 40 Issue: 4, 205 - 212, 10.10.2025

Nimetullah Korkut , İsmail Turgut Alkan , Muammer Kırıcı

https://doi.org/10.26650/ASE.2025.1656372

Abstract

This study investigates the parasite fauna of C. carpio inhabiting the Yenidal Irrigation Pond, focusing on temporal distribution patterns, host size-parasite load relationships, and the influence of water parameters on parasitic prevalence. A total of 41 fish specimens were examined between May and November 2023. Parasitological analyses revealed three parasite species: Dactylogyrus extensus, Dactylogyrus anchoratus, and Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, with an overall infection rate of 75.6%. D. extensus exhibited the highest prevalence, infecting 65.9% of the fish, while D. anchoratus was present in 48.8% of the specimens. Additionally, I. multifiliis, the causative agent of white spot disease, was detected in only one specimen, though with a very high intensity. D. extensus exhibited the highest prevalence during summer, while D. anchoratus was more dominant in autumn. Statistical analyses indicated a significant positive correlation between parasite load and dissolved oxygen levels (r = 0.514, p = 0.010) and host size (r = 0.592, p < 0.01). However, no significant difference was found in condition factor between infected and non-infected fish (p = 0.653). These findings highlight the ecological dynamics of parasite-host interactions in an artificial freshwater ecosystem and emphasize the importance of continuous monitoring to understand the impact of environmental conditions on parasite prevalence.

Keywords

Cyprinus carpio , parasite ecology , temporal distribution , host-parasite interaction , water quality , prevalence modeling

Ethical Statement

All fish were handled in compliance with ethical guidelines for animal research. The study was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks under approval number 10291453 and by the Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee of Bingöl University Rectorate, Ethics Committee of Science and Engineering, under approval number 103724.

Supporting Institution

This study was not supported by any external funding source

Thanks

The authors would like to thank Bingöl University for providing laboratory facilities and technical support during the research.

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