Taxonomic Evaluation and Description of A New Djombangia species from Freshwater Fish, Clarias batrachus of Banskandi, Assam, North East India

The aim of the present study was to document the diversity of endoparasitic helminths in freshwater fish of Banskandi, Assam and to assess their zoonotic potential, if any. The collections of fishes were conducted in various water systems of the region and parasites were retrieved. During the investigation, two mature and few small immature cestodes were recovered from the intestine. The present species differs from its closely related congeners in some morphological characteristics such as the size of the body, number of disposition of testes, presence of a short neck, shape of the ovary etc. The detailed morphological comparisons underscore the distinctiveness of Djombangia banskandiensis sp.n. as a new species while illustrating the shared traits and subtle variations among the other Djombangia species. This study enhances our understanding of cestode diversity in the freshwater ecosystems of Northeast India through detailed descriptions and taxonomic evaluations, contributing valuable insights to the region’s parasitological research.