Endoparasites and epibionts of loggerhead and green sea turtles from the eastern Mediterranean, Turkey: A detailed assessment.

Two species of sea turtles, the loggerhead () and the green turtle (), use Turkey's Mediterranean and rarely Aegean Sea coasts for nesting and foraging. The injured sea turtles are regularly transferred for treatment to the Sea Turtle Research, Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (DEKAMER) Muğla Ortaca-Dalyan (Turkey) from the different coasts of the these two seasthese include Çanakkale, Balıkesir, İzmir and Aydın (Aegean Sea); Antalya and Mersin (Mediterranean Sea) and also Muğla (it has two coasts both Aegean Sea and Mediterranean Sea). In this study, both internal and external parasites and epibiont species of turtles that died during treatment were examined. This is the first detailed parasitological and epibiont study on these sea turtles in the Turkish coast. Twenty-two adult and twelve green turtles were examined and these symbiotic groups were recorded: endoparasitic digeneans and nematodes, and epibiotic annelids and cirripeds (barnacles). The observed three digenean species (, and ) are recorded in Turkey for the first time. Also, and represent new host records for these digenean species in Turkey. represents a new host record for two cirriped species ( and ) from Turkey and also represent a new host record for from Turkey. Based on the available literature, the implications of these symbionts on sea turtle health are discussed, highlighting the importance of recording parasitic data of sea turtles. The study of internal and external parasites is very important, especially for the treatment of sea turtles under rehabilitation.