Aquaculture & Fisheries

Biography

Biography: Hany M R Abdel Latif

Abstract

Myxosporeans are common parasites of fish world-wide, which cause serious damage to economically important freshwater and marine fish species. During a recent investigation of parasites infecting fishes inhabiting different Canals at Behera governorate (Egypt), a total of one hundred and fifty sharp tooth catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Siluriformes: Clariidae) were examined for the presence of myxozoan infections. The clinical signs, postmortem lesions and parasitological examinations were investigated. The infected fish were off food and had respiratory manifestations, sluggish swimming, and congestion of the gills as well as the presence of cyst like structures on the gill filaments, in the cartilage of the accessory breathing organ in some fish and in the ovaries of others. Parasitological examinations revealed great numbers of spores in the milky fluid inside the cysts, which identified the presence of two species of the genus Henneguya; plasmodia of H. branchialis and H. Fusiformis in the gills and accessory respiratory organ and one species of the genus Myxobolus; plasmodia of M. Gariepinus in the ovaries. The prevalence of Myxosporeans revealed that 25% of the examined fish were infected with Henneguya species and 16.67% were infected with Myxobolus species. It was also noted that the highest rate of infestation was found in spring season and in female specimens more than males. The results of this study demonstrate that the isolated Myxozoans were firstly isolated from wild sharp tooth catfish at Behera governorate, Egypt and they causes physical damage in gills, accessory respiratory organs and ovaries which make the infected fish unmarketable and ineligible for human consumption.