Two species of monogenetic trematodes of the genus Dactylogyrus were recorded in the present paper for the first time in Iraq from two freshwater fishes from Diyala river, Diyala province. The first species,  D. bocageii Alvarez Pellitero, Vicente et Gonzalez Lanza, 1981 was recorded from gills of Aspius vorax, the second species, D. lenkorani Mikailov, 1967 was recorded from gills of Barbus sharpeyi. The descriptions and measurements of these parasites as well as their illustrations were given.

A total of 352 freshwater fishes, belonging to three species of the family Cyprinidae were collected from the Greater Zab river in north of Iraq during the period from November 2000 to the end of November 2001. The inspection of their gills revealed the infection of these fishes with three species of monogenetic trematodes belonging to the genus Dogielius. These species included D. mokhayeri from Aspius vorax with a percentage incidence of 37.5%; D. molnari from Cyprinion macrostomum (33.3%) and D. persicus from Barbus luteus (41.2%). The record of this genus and its three above-named species of the present study are considered as the first record on fishes of Iraq.

    Three monogenean species of the genus Gyrodactylus viz. G. cotti Roman, 1956 on gills of Planiliza abu, G. mikailovi Ergens & Ibragimov, 1976 on gills of Chondrostoma regium and G. prostae Ergens, 1963 on gills of Alburnus caeruleus were recorded from Tigris river at Al-Shawwaka region, Baghdad. The description and measurements of these parasites as well as their illustrations where given. All these parasites are recorded here for the first time in Iraq.  
 

The occurrence of two species of the genus Myxobolus Bütschli, 1882 (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) for the first time in Iraq from freshwater fishes.

Surveying 59 references concerning the occurrence of the monogeneans of the family Diplozoidae parasitizing fishes of Iraq showed the occurrence of 15 valid species of this family which included one species of Diplozoon, one species of Eudiplozoon and 13 species of Paradiplozoon. In addition to these species, some unidentified adult and larval (diporpa larvae) specimens of the genus Diplozoon were reported from 12 fish hosts among which four fish species showed no infection with any of the nominated diplozoid species while the others showed mixed diplozoid infections. These diplozoids were reported from 27 fish host species in Iraq. All the diplozoids were recorded from freshwater habitats except one <

For the first time in Iraq, the crustacean Ergasilus ogawai Kabata,

1992 was recorded from the gills of Silurus triostegus, Mastacembelus mastacembelus, Mystus pelusius and Acanthopagrus latus out of 12 fish species caught from Garmat Ali river north of Basrah city during the period from September 1999 till August 2000. The percentage incidence of infestations of these four fish species were 98.9%, 100%,

49.6% and 71.4% while the intensity of infestations were 417, 81.8,

3.4 and 2, respectively. No significant differences in infestations of

male and female hosts  with this crustacean were detected.

A total of 722 algal taxa are recorded in Diyala River by different authors. Most of the identification algae belong to three Divisions: Bacillariophyceae (367, 50.8%), Chlorophyceae (179, 24.8%), and Cyanophyceae (126, 17.5%).

A total of 109 fish specimens belonging to six species (Barbus grypus, B. luteus, B. xanthopterus, Cyprinion macrostomum, Cyprinus carpio and Liza abu) were collected from Tigris river passing through Salah Al-Deen province during the period from September 2008 till January 2009. These fishes were infected with nine parasite species which included two sporozoans (Myxobolus mülleri and Dermocystidium percae), three ciliates (Trichodina cottidarum, T. elegini and T. murmanica) and four monogenetic trematodes (Dactylogyrus rhodeianus, D. vastator, Paradiplozoon cyprini and Microcotyle donavini). Among these parasites, two trichodinids (T. elegini and T. murmanica) were reported for the first time from fishes of Iraq. Also, B. grypus is c

Groundwater is very important for different uses in the present study area which represents Jisr Diyala, located in southeastern Baghdad and covered with quaternary deposits which include the shallow aquifer in the area. Groundwater and surface water were investigated to determine their suitable uses. The main ion concentrations of the wet period seemed to be lower than those in the dry period. According to TDS values, the water is classified as brackish to salty with a high degree of hardness. Most of water samples were of NaCl type due to pollution with sewage water and rock-water interaction. The results show that the water of the study area is suitable for livestock and irrigation purposes only.

For the first time in Iraq, two species of monogenetic tretamtodes of the genus Dactylogyrus were recorded from gills of Alburnus caeruleus from Tigris river at Al-Zaafaraniya, south of Baghdad during June 1995. The first species, Dactylogyrus sphyrna is characterized by having the seventh pair of marginal hooklets almost twice as large as other marginal hooklets, powerful inner and outer processes of median hooks especially the inner one which is expanded terminally, one connecting bar and long spirally twisted copulatory organ. The second species, Daclytogyrus phoxini differs from the first one by having marginal hooklets of the same size, inner and outer processes of median hooks are not powerful, two connecting bars