Helminth Parasites of Select Cyprinid Fishes from the Red River Drainage of Southeastern Oklahoma

Abstract

Between June and September 2014, 76 cyprinid fishes (seven taxa) collected from four sites in the Red River drainage of McCurtain County, Oklahoma, were examined for helminth parasites. Five endoparasites (four trematodes, one cestode) were found in 10 of 76 (13%) fish including: Allocreadium lobatum in Striped Shiners (Luxilus chrysocephalus isolepis), Rhipidocotyle sp. in Blacktail Shiners (Cyprinella venusta), Postdiplostomum minimum in a Highland Stoneroller (Campostoma spadiceum), Clinostomum marginatum in L. c. isolepis, and Proteocephalus sp. in Steelcolor Shiners (Cyprinella whipplei) and L. c. isolepis. In addition, the following were negative for helminths: Redfin Shiners (Lythrurus umbratilus cyanocephalus), Bigeye Shiners (Notropis boops) and Creek Chubs (Semotilus atromaculatus). Four new host and two new geographic distributional records are documented. There is a continued need to survey additional non-game fishes of the state for helminths as new host and distributional records are predicted as well as the possibility of discovery of new species. ©2014 Oklahoma Academy of Science