Parasite Fauna of Sand and Stone Sculpins (Scorpaeniformes, Cottidae) from Lake Baikal (Review of Results and Prospects of Investigations)

A revision of the composition of parasites of two species of cottoid fish widespread in Baikal (sand (Leocottus kesslerii Dybowski, 1874) and stone (Paracottus knerii Dybowskii, 1874) sculpins) was conducted. They have 60 species and subspecies of parasites belonging to 10 types, 12 classes, 14 orders, 24 families, and 32 genera. Twenty-one endemic taxa of a species and subspecies rank was noted in them: these are blood parasites, including trypanosomes and cryptobia (2), myxosporidia (5), infusoria (7), monogeneans (1), nematodes (2), acanthocephales (1), leeches (2), and crustaceans (1). A comparative analysis of the parasitic fauna of the sand and stone sculpins with that of the families Abyssocottidae and Comephoridae demonstrated that this fauna is most closely related to the parasite fauna of the family Abyssocottidae. Revisions of the composition of parasites of two fish widespread in Baikal in the light of modern data highlighted a number of important problems in the study of fish parasites in this reservoir. Since there was a transformation of views on the taxonomy of individual groups and new information on morphology, molecular biology, biochemistry, life cycles, and distribution in the plant and animal world was obtained, it is necessary to continue the study of Baikal parasites using modern methods.