Determination of Host Fish Suitability for Unio terminalis delicatus (Bivalvia:Unionidae) From Gölbaşı Lake in Turkey

Suitable host fishes were identified for Unio terminalis delicatus (Unionidae) from Gölbaşı lake. It was observed the glochidial infestation for the suitable host fishes in the laboratory conditional. In this study, five different fish specieses (Anguilla anguilla, Clarius gariepinus, Barbus luteus, Orechromis niloticus, Cyprinus carpio) were used as host fish in order to U. terminalis delicatus. It was placed in each aquarium eighteen fish and three mussels. Fishes, which are used as host were held in five aquariums of 140 liters capacity with no substrate. All the aquarium were sampled every other day for up to 45 days. The presence of glochidia in the gills and fins of the fish was studied in a stereomicroscope. The following stage, mussel-fish-host relationships were established. In the aquarium in which C. carpio was placed, the conglutinates were found to differ both in quantity and in structural form. Although the larvae of U. terminalis delicatus released successfully on three fishes species: B. luteus, C. carpio and O. niloticus, they weren't prefer to A. Anguilla and C. gariepinus as host fish. These observations show that of three prefable host, C. carpio is the best option to for host fish selectivity U. terminalis delicatus