CONTRIBUTION TO PARASITE FAUNA OF PRESPA BLEAK (ALBURNUS BELVICA KARAMAN, 1924) (PISCES: CYPRINIDAE) IN LAKE PRESPA, REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

Eight out of the eleven indigenous fish species of Prespa are endemic, i.e. they exist only in the Lake Prespa. One of these endemic fish species is Prespa bleak (Alburnus belvica). The parasitological examination from the Macedonian part of the Lake Prespa in 2023 showed that all of 14 examined specimens of Prespa bleak fishes were infested (100.0%). In our case study the presence of 8 parasite species was established: Gyrodactylus sp., Dactylogyrus alatus f. typica, Dactylogyrus fraternus, Dactylogyrus sphyrna, Posthodiplostomum cuticola (larva), Cestoda gen. sp. (larva), Raphidascaris acus (larva) and Ergasilus sieboldi. Individually, by the parasite species, the highest prevalence was with Dactylogyrus fraternus, Dactylogyrus sphyrna and Posthodiplostomum cuticola (larva) (71.43%). The lowest one was with Cestoda gen. sp. (larva) (7.14%). In our case study the parasites Gyrodactylus sp., Dactylogyrus fraternus and Cestoda gen. sp. (larva), are recorded for the first time in the ichthyoparasitofauna of Lake Prespa and Macedonia.