Digenean parasites of Sarpa salpa (Linnaeus, 1758) from the Eastern Mediterranean coasts of Turkey

The purpose of the study is to determine the digenean parasite fauna of Sarpa salpa (Sparidae) from the Mediterranean Sea. The fish samples from the coasts of Mersin-Anamur were brought to the Parasitology Research Laboratory of the Biology Department of Science Faculty of Atatürk University, dissected and investigated parasitologically. The parasites that were found in the visceral organs were fixed with A F A (Alcohol-Formalin-Acetic Acid). The dying process of the parasites was carried out with Mayer's Carmalum and mounted with Canada Balsam. Mesometra orbicularis (Rudolphi 1819) Lühe, 1901, Mesometra brachycoelia Lühe, 1901, Centroderma sp. (Stossich 1883) (Mesometridae) and Robphildollfusium fractum (Rudolphi 1819) Paggi et Orecchia, 1963 (Gyliauchenidae) were determined. Although these parasites were detected in Sarpa salpa (Linnaeus 1758) from different localities of the Mediterranean Sea, they have not been found in the fish of the coasts of Turkey so far. The mentioned 5 species of parasites are the first records for the parasite fauna of Turkey.