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A comparative study of helminth parasites from the fish Tilapia zillii and Oreochromis leucostictus in Lake Naivasha and Oloidien Bay, Kenya

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2024

P.A. Aloo*
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, Kenyatta University, PO Box 43844, Nairobi, Kenya
*
*Address for correspondence: Private Bag 51336, 00200 City Square Nairobi, Kenya Fax: +254 2 444110

Abstract

The parasitic fauna of two fish species, namely gill-netted samples of 652 Oreochromis leucostictus and 448 Tilapia zillii from Lake Naivasha and Oloidien Bay was investigated during the period from the end of October 1995 to September 1996. Five larval helminth parasites were recovered including the nematode, Contracaecum sp., the acanthocephalan Polyacanthorhynchus kenyensis, the digenetic trematode, Clinostomum sp. and two cestodes, Amirthalingamia sp. and Cyclustera sp. Both prevalence and intensity of the infection of these helminths increased in larger sized fish, whereas male fish were more heavily infected than females. No seasonality in infection level were observed. The health status of both fish species remained unaffected, although O. leucostictus from Oloidien Bay which harboured heavy infections of Contracaecum exhibited stuntedness and the lack of fatty deposits around the digestive caecum.

Type
Review Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2002

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