New Data on Pipefishes' and Seahorse's Endohelminths Off Crimean Coasts of The Black Sea.

A total of 357 Syngnathidae fishes ( Risso, 1827, Linnaeus, 1758 and (Linnaeus, 1758) caught in different habitats along Crimean Black Sea shelf were examined for presence of endohelminths and revealed to be hosts of 15 helminth species. The fishes are second intermediate hosts for five "birds'" digenean species and nematodes (larvae of three species and immature adults of one more species) completing life-cycles in waterbirds and fish; for two acanthocephalans and three cestodes larvae ending development in fish. We suggest, basing on data on feeding of the Black Sea predatory fish and waterbirds, that Syngnathid fishes are paratenic hosts in parasitic systems of most cestodes, nematodes and acanthocephalans. All the trematodes found are generalists at metacercarial stage; specialists and use Syngnathidae as definitive hosts. Cestodes, nematodes as well as acanthocephalans found are generalists, too. Based on infection indices, are main final host and are main 2nd intermediate hosts for ; Syngnathids are accidental hosts for other trematodes as well as for all the cestodes, nematodes and acanthocephalans. and are important as Syngnathid fishes' threats, especially in marine protected aquatoria, being potential agents of "black spot disease".