PARASITES OF FISH FROM UGBEKOKO RIVER SAPELE, DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to investigate the parasites of fishes from Ugbekoko River near Sapele, Delta State, Nigeria. A total of 90 fishes belonging to three families (Mochokidae, Claroteidae and Cichlidae) and three genera (Synodontis sp., Chrysichthys sp. and Tilapia sp.) were purchased from local fishermen who fish regularly at the river between June to October, 2019. The lengths of the fishes were measured prior to dissection and they were examined for parasites. Out of the 90 fishes examined, 19 were infected with an overall prevalence of 21.1%. Parasites encountered comprised nematodes and cestodes. The nematodes recovered include Procamallanus laevionchus (3.9%), Spirocamallanus spiralis (5.7), Oxyurid sp. (9.6) while the cestodes were identified as caryophyllid cestodes (34.6%). All parasites recovered were from Synodontis sp. and site of infection was the intestine. Oxyurid species had the highest mean intensity (19.4) among the parasites followed by P. laevionchus (9.0), S. spiralis (7.3) and cestodes (6.8). Parasites abundance showed that a total of 259 parasites occurred in the fishes examined and nematodes were more predominant (52.9%), followed by cestode (47.1%). The study reveals that fishes obtained from Ugbekoko River were infected with helminth parasite though the rate of infection was low.