Some Ecological Aspects Of The Acanthocephalann Pomphorhynchus spindletruncatus Parasitic In Barbus xanthopterus From Lesser Zab River In North Of Iraq

Monthly samples of the cyprinid fish Barbus xanthopterus werecollected from Lesser Zab river, north of Iraq during the period fromNovember 2000 until the end of November 2001. Fishes were foundinfected with the acanthocephalan Pomphorhynchus spindletruncatus.The rate of infection was 28.1 %. No significant differences were noticedbetween male and female fishes infected with this parasite. Prevalence,mean intensity and abundance of infection with P. spindletruncatusincreased with the increase of fish length. Infection rate was high duringSpring and Summer, and low during Autumn and Winter.