Prevalence of intestinal parasites of Clarias gariepinus and Heterotis niloticus in Marma Water Channel, Kirikasamma Local Government Area, Jigawa State – Nigeria

Abstract

Water channel is a vital resourse in many countries, as it provides the communities with different economic potentialities. However, impact of human activities via industrialization, urbanization contaminates the water body leading to depletion of an important aquatic biota such as fish. The present study determined the prevalence of parasitic infestation in fish species (C. gariepinus and Heterotis niloticus) along Marma Water Channel, which comprises of Marma, Likori, Dawa and Madachi towns. The study was carried out for a period of 12 months (January to December, 2023). Parasitic prevalence, were evaluated using standard protocol. Two hundred and seventy (270) fresh fish species of both C. gariepinus and H. niloticus were randomly obtained from the landing sites on monthly basis. The overall prevalence of infection was 21.85%, in which higher prevalence rate was recorded in H. niloticus with 22.01% while C. gariepinus had 21.62%. Morphological examination revealed the identity of the encountered fish parasites with Bothriocephalus acheilognathii (40.9%), Biacetabulum infrequens (13.6%), Cecaria heterophiid (27.3%), Rhabdochona congolensis (9.5%) and Cystacanth (larval stage) (13.6%). It was concluded that Cestodes where more predominant with the total number of 17 parasites across the two fish species. It is therefore recommended that fish samples from Marma water channel should be properly cooked to protect consumers from ingesting fish contaminated with parasites.