Morphological studies on prevailing parasitic infections in the greater lizard fish Saurida undosquamis from the Red Sea

Two hundred and seventy specimens of the marine greater lizard fish Saurida undosquamis were collected during the period from October 2018 to April 2019 from Red Sea at Suez province, Egypt. Fish were subjected to clinical, postmortem and parasitic examinations. The total parasitic infestation rate was 87.4%.The isolated parasites were one species of Microsporidia (Glugea sp.) with infestation rate 23%; one species of digenetic trematode (Lecithochirium grandiporum) with infestation rate 34.4%; one species of adult cestode (Oncodiscus sauridae) with prevalence rate 9.6%. The total prevalence rate of cestode larvae was 67.7%; three species of larval cestodes (Tetraphyllidean larvae; Pseudogrillotia sp. and Floriceps sp.). Tetraphyllidea plerocercoid and Trypanorhyncha Plerocrcoid larvae infection rate were 59.6% and 40.4 % respectively. The total prevalence rate of larval nematodes infection was 39%. Two species of larval nematodes (Anisakis simplex larvae and Echinocephalus overstreeti) with prevalence rate 89.5% and12.4% respectively. The histopathological alterations due to different parasitic agents were studied.