The first Report of Faustula keksooni from Tenualosa ilisha in Karun River, Southwest of Iran

Background: Tenualosa ilisha (ilish, hilsa, hilsa herring, or hilsa shad) is a species of migratory fish in the herring family (Clupeidae), and is considered as a popular food fish in the southwest of Iran. Objective: Due to the high consumption of T. ilisha fish in Khuzestan province (especially in Abadan and Khorramshahr cities) and lack of any reports about the intestinal trematode of this fish; the current study was aimed to investigate the trematode parasites of T. ilisha. Methods: For this purpose, a total of 50 T. ilisha fishes were collected from the Karun River during Feb-Mar 2017. The fishes were transferred to the Department of Medical Parasitology of Tarbiat Modares University and dissected to obtain the intestine. The intestines were extensively searched for the presence of trematode and after parasites recovering, they were preserved in 70% alcohol. Moreover, the helminths were stained by acetic carmine. The parasites were identified with the aid of reliable sources. Results: Forty-one out of 50 (82%) fishes were found to be positive for trematode. The recovered trematode belonged to Faustula keksooni. Conclusion: The present study showed a high burden of infection in T. ilisha. It should be noted that we reported F. keksooni for the first time in Iran.