Taxonomy, distribution and prevalence of parasites of tigerfish, Hydrocynus vittatus (Castelnau, 1861) in the Sanyati basin, Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe

Nyasha Mabika; Maxwell Barson; Cobus Van Dyk; Annemariè Avenant-Oldewage

doi:10.1515/ap-2016-0082

Article

Taxonomy, distribution and prevalence of parasites of tigerfish, Hydrocynus vittatus (Castelnau, 1861) in the Sanyati basin, Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe

Nyasha Mabika , Maxwell Barson , Cobus Van Dyk and Annemariè Avenant-Oldewage

Published/Copyright: July 21, 2016

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From the journal Acta Parasitologica Volume 61 Issue 3

Abstract

Parasites of the tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus) were investigated in the period October 2014 to July 2015 in the Sanyati Basin, Lake Kariba. The fish were collected using seine netting and also during the annual Kariba International Tiger Fishing Tournament. A total of 80 fish specimens (24 males and 56 females) were collected and were infected with the following seven parasite taxa: Monogenea (Annulotrema sp.1 from the gills and Annulotrema sp.2 from the skin), Nematoda (Contracaecum larvae), Cestoda (bothriocephalid, larval cyclophyllid), Copepoda (Lamproglena hemprichii), pentastomid, Myxosporea (Myxobolus sp.,) and unicellular ciliate parasites (Trichodina sp., Tetrahymena sp., and unidentified). Annulotrema sp. 1 was observed in all fish and had the highest prevalence, mean intensity and abundance. The fish organs infected were gills, skin, fin, body cavity, stomach, intestines, mesentery, liver, kidney, brain cavity and swim bladder. No parasites were observed in the muscle, eyes and blood. The distribution of the parasites was highest in the gills and lowest in the brain cavity and swimbladder. Bothriocephalids, pentastomes and Trichodina sp. were not observed in male fish. Sex was not related to the intensity of parasites. The results of the study showed that H. vittatus has a richer parasite community than other previous investigated alestids. Pentastomes, Myxobolus sp., Trichodina sp., Tetrahymena sp. and bothriocephalid cestodes are new records for H. vittatus in Zimbabwe.

Keywords: Annulotrema; Lamproglena; Trichodina; Myxobolus; bothriocephalid; Contracaecum

Acknowledgements

We would like to give special thanks to Nyasha Chiyaka and Edwin Zingwe for their field and laboratory assistance. The technical assistance provided by all the University of Zimbabwe Lake Kariba Research Station staff and University of Johannesburg is highly appreciated. Prof Bettine Jansen van Vuuren (UJ) is thanked for DNA analysis.

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Received: 2015-12-3

Revised: 2016-4-17

Accepted: 2016-4-19

Published Online: 2016-7-21

Published in Print: 2016-9-1

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/ap-2016-0082

Keywords for this article

Annulotrema; Lamproglena; Trichodina; Myxobolus; bothriocephalid; Contracaecum