University of Guilan Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences 1735-3033 24 2 2026 04 01 Features of the formation of fish parasitofauna in pond farms of the Almaty region, Kazakhstan 353 361 9621 10.22124/cjes.2026.9621 EN Alfiya Baigutty Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Geography, Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University Bolat Yessimov Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Geography, Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University Iliyan Iliev Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University, Sofia, Bulgaria Ainur Jumagaliyeva Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Geography, Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University Journal Article 2026 05 20 <span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Pond fish farming in the Almaty region of Kazakhstan has expanded rapidly, yet no systematic survey of fish parasites has ever been conducted. To fill this gap, we examined 482 fish (common carp, grass carp, silver carp, and rainbow trout) from eight pond farms between May and October 2025, covering lowland warm‑water and foothill cold‑water farms. Using standard parasitological methods, we identified six major parasite groups. Monogenean gill flukes were the most widespread (prevalence 64.3%), followed by protozoan ectoparasites (58.1%). Prevalence of monogeneans and protozoans increased dramatically from spring to summer (38.5% to 79.8% for monogeneans, <em>p</em> < 0.001; 28.2% to 72.6% for protozoans, <em>p</em> < 0.001). Grass carp and silver carp carried significantly more cestodes (tapeworms) than common carp (44.2% and 37.2% vs. 18.3%, <em>p </em>< 0.001). Lowland farms had higher prevalence of monogeneans (71.9% vs. 47.1%, <em>p </em>< 0.001) and protozoans (64.0% vs. 42.9%, <em>p</em> < 0.001), while foothill farms had more cestodes, nematodes and trematodes. Zoonotic parasites were found in 8.7% of rainbow trout (<em>Diphyllobothrium</em> plerocercoids) and 3.3% of common carp (<em>Opisthorchis</em> metacercariae), posing a food safety risk. The parasite community was most diverse in summer (Shannon index 2.04 in foothill farms). These results demonstrate that the formation of fish parasitofauna in the Almaty region is strongly shaped by season, fish species, and farm type. Targeted, seasonal parasite control strategies are urgently needed, along with public health warnings about consuming raw or undercooked pond fish.</span> https://cjes.guilan.ac.ir/article_9621_c4c8b4816152e57e603f89b1257c7bf7.pdf