Ectoparasitic Protozoa from the Nile perch fish Lates niloticus, Egypt

61 Lates niloticus collected from River Nile were examined for the presence of protozoan ectoparasites. Four species of Apiosoma (A. amoebae, A. doliaris, A. piscicola and A. poteriformis) and one Scopulata (S. epibranchialis) were recorded. A. poteriformis was recorded in Egypt for the first time and all the above parasites were recorded from this fish for the first time. Also, 19 fish were natural hosts of eight trichodinids. All isolated trichodinids, except T. lepsii, were detected for the first time from this fish. Moreover, T. rectuncinata was isolated for the first time from any fish kind in Egypt. 52 fish specimens were also natural hosts of nine ciliates: six species of scyphidians; Ambiphyra ameiuri, Ambiphyra sp., Scyphidia globularis, S. doliaris, Scyphidia mansouriensis n. sp. and Scyphidia sp.; two amphileptids; Amphileptus niloticus n. sp. and Amphileptus sp. and only one tetrahymenid; Tetrahymena sp. All parasites were recorded for the first time from this host in Egypt. Scyphidia globularis and S. doliaris were not recorded before from any fish kind in Egypt. Furthermore, Amphileptus niloticus and Scyphidia mansouriensis were described as new species.