PARASITES OF MARINE CRAB, Callinectes amnicola.

ABSTRACT

The goal of this study was to determine whether the marine crab, Callinectes amnicola, from Delta State, Nigeria's Ethiope River, had parasites. During the sampling period, forty crabs were obtained from local fisherman who employed palm nut bait and handcrafted basket traps to catch the crabs. After that, these crabs were brought to the Department of Animal and Environmental Biology lab at the University of Benin, Benin City, so that they could be identified and checked for parasites. Every soft tissue was thoroughly examined. Out of the forty crabs, five were affected with parasites, yielding an overall incidence of 12.5%. The juvenile trematode and metacercariae parasites were found. The metacercariae had a prevalence of 7.5%, whilst the juvenile trematode had a frequency of 5%. The described metacercariae have an oval cyst with two thick walls—the inner and outer layers. The juvenile trematode, on the other hand, is thin and has a posterior two thirds constriction. After trematode infection of C. amnicola from the River Ethiope was determined, the crabs were identified as the second intermediate hosts. Even if the parasitic burden and documented infection rate are minimal, Callinectes amnicola can yet pose a serious risk to human health. Trematode-caused parasitic illnesses continue to be the biggest global public health concern.