TRICHODINA GOBII (CILIOPHORA: TRICHODINIDAE) ON WHITING MERLANGIUS MERLANGUS WITH A CHECKLIST FROM TURKISH AND RUSSIAN COASTS OF THE BLACK SEA

Trichodina gobii was identified during a parasitological survey conducted on the parasite fauna of whiting, Merlangius merlangus at both Sinop (Turkey) and Sevastopol (Russia) coasts of the Black Sea in the period between May 2011 and March 2014. Its morphological characteristics and taxonomic affinities with other previous reports on this species were revealed. The ecological occurrences in relation with seasonality, host length and sex of whiting were also determined. Parasitological indices were calculated from 690 and 423 whiting specimens collected in Sinop and Sevastopol, respectively. Overall infestation prevalence (%) and mean intensity and mean abundance values were 45.6%, 70.1 +/- 10.4 and 32.0 +/- 4.9, respectively, in Sinop, while they were 6.9%, 29.2 +/- 10.1 and 2.0 +/- 0.8 in Sevastopol. The taxonomic affinities to other trichodinid species and ecological data are discussed in detail.