Biofresh dataset of helminth parasites of fish in Europe

The dataset that contains 22,261 host-parasite-locality records, encompassing 600 species of helminth parasites Acanthocephala, Cestoda, Digenea, Monogenea and Nematoda) from 170 species of fish, in Europe. These data were compiled from 842 scientific references (published between 1872 and 2012) in the context of the EU-funded project BIOFRESH (Biodiversity of Freshwater Ecosystems: Status, Trends, Pressures, and Conservation Priorities), but have not been publicly available since the end of the project in 2014. This dataset represents the only dedicated source of information on fish parasites in Europe, and is the only large-scale georeferenced host-parasite dataset. As such, it will represent an invaluable source of information to characterise patterns in European fish parasite diversity, investigate ecological processes, or evaluate potential threats to fisheries.