Romanian Journal of Biology - Zoology

ROMANIAN ACADEMY
Institute of Biology -Bucharest



THE GASTROINTESTINAL HELMINTH PARASITE COMMUNITY OF THE BOBO CROAKER, PSEUDOTOLITHUS ELONGATUS (BOWDICH, 1825)

MERCY IFEGWU, HELEN A. DAGOGO, BELEMA ROBERT, CHIDINMA C. AMUZIE, IKEM K.E. EKWEOZOR





 Abstract:


   Helminths compose a significant percentage of the parasites of fish. They inhabit the tissues and organs of fish leading to a wide range of health impacts ranging from mild to deadly infections. Pseudotolithus elongatus is a croaker caught wildly from marine and estuarine aquatic ecosystems in Rivers State, Nigeria. This research investigated the gastrointestinal helminth parasites of P. elongatus purchased from fishers at Abonnema, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Purchase of fish was done from October to December, 2021 and transported in ice chest to the laboratory where they were measured and examined for parasites. Fish had average total length of 22.6±0.62cm and average wet body mass of 29.5±2.3g. Cestode and nematode parasites were isolated from these hosts, fixed and identified using appropriate guides. Twenty-four fish were examined and total prevalence of infection was 58.3%. The parasite community was comprised of a cestode (Proteocephalus sp.) and nematodes (Anisakis sp., Labeonema africanum, Physalopteroides sp., Amplicaecum sp., and Gendria sp.). Anisakis sp. (54.2%) was most prevalent infecting thirteen of the fourteen infected hosts. Health impacts of the parasites are discussed. It is concluded that P. elongatus serves as host to a community of helminth parasites in the aquatic environment. The prevalence of Anisakis sp. observed in this research calls for public health concerns.




 Citation:


   MERCY IFEGWU, HELEN A. DAGOGO, BELEMA ROBERT, CHIDINMA C. AMUZIE, IKEM K.E. EKWEOZOR, 2023. THE GASTROINTESTINAL HELMINTH PARASITE COMMUNITY OF THE BOBO CROAKER, PSEUDOTOLITHUS ELONGATUS (BOWDICH, 1825), Romanian Journal of Biology - Zoology, 68(1-2): 3–9.




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