Ali Al-Ghamdi - Department of Biology, College of Science, Al Baha University, Al Baha, Saudi Arabia
Kareem Morsy - Department of Biology, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
Saad Dajem - Department of Biology, College of Science, Al Baha University, Al Baha, Saudi Arabia
Ali Shati - Department of Biology, College of Science, Al Baha University, Al Baha, Saudi Arabia
Mohammed Al-Kahtani - Department of Biology, College of Science, Al Baha University, Al Baha, Saudi Arabia
Ahmed Baiomy - Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
Ahmed Ezzat - Department of Biology, College of Science, Al Baha University, Al Baha, Saudi Arabia

During a recent survey on digenean parasites infecting marine fish captured from water located along the Red Sea off Gizan Coasts, Saudi Arabia, thirty-two (۲۹.۰۹%) out of ۱۱۰ fish were naturally infected with three different species of digenean parasites. The taxonomical status of the recovered worms was confirmed by light microscopy and molecular analysis. Transversotrema licinuminfecting the haffara sea bream Rhabdosargus haffara possessed a transversely elongated body with eyespots and the anterior body margin with delineated velum along with its entire breadth. Oral sucker was absent, and eyespots were paired anterior to or at the level of ventral sucker. Phyllodistomum hoggettaefrom the urinary bladder of the Arabian Nagil Plectropomus areolatus was differentiated by its elongated body, narrow anterior end widened as going posteriorly with prominent marginal undulations in the hindbody. Gyliauchen volubilisinfecting the marbled spinefoot Siganus rivulatus, was with fleshy body, conical, tapered anteriorly, convex dorsally, and concave ventrally. Prepharynx was very long and convoluted and had occupied the greater part of the anterior half of the body. Multiple sequence alignment and phylogeny were based on maximum likelihood analysis for the ITS–۲ and ۲۸S rDNA for Transversotrema licinum and Phyllodistomum hoggettae, respectively, were constructed. They were compared to species within their families and further deposited into the Genebank under accession numbers MG ۷۲۲۷۱۱ and MG۷۲۲۷۱۰, respectively.

Digenea, Light microscopy, Molecular study, Morphology, Red Sea