Observations on the helminth parasites of wild and cultured tilapia in the Okigwe area of

Abstract

A total of 449 specimen of Tilapia comprising Tilapia nilotica (Oreochromis), Tilapia zilli and Tilapia galilea (Sarotherodon) collected from the Federal and State Fish ponds, Okigwe and from the Imo River were examined for helminth infections. Out of these, only 5 (1.1%) fish were infected. These came from the wild. Tilapia zilli had the highest rate of infection (66.6%) while the prevalence rate of infection of Tilapia observed was 50.0%. Parasites recovered included Enclinostomum heterostomum (14.3%), Paracamallanus cyathopharynx (14.3%) and Caryophylleus sp (42.8%). Comparing the infection rates of the fish from the ponds (cultured) with the fish from the open natural water system (wild), the wild fish recorded a high rate of infection (50.0%) as opposed to no infection recorded for the cultural fish from the two fish farms. Only the males were infected among the infected fish.

Global Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences Volume , No 1 January (2001) pp. 23-28



KEY WORDS:

Tilapia, Wild, Cultured, Parasites.