Abstract
The gross pathological and histopathological changes associated with parasitic infection in the European eel (Anguilla anguilla Linnaeus, 1758) was investigated. A total of 65 eels collected from three sampling localities in Eastern Delta, Egypt were examined over the period of January–May 2008. The fish were subjected to standard procedures for parasitological and pathological examinations. Overall, 22 (33.8%) of the 65 fish examined were found to have parasitic infections. The eels harbored a total of six parasite species; among them, the nematode Anguillicoloides crassus was the most prevalent species (10.7%), followed by the Monogenea Pseudodactylogyrus anguillae (7.7%) and Dactylogyrus species (6.1%), the ciliate Trichodinella epizootica (4.6%), the Myxozoa Myxidium giardi (3.1%), and the cestode Proteocephalus macrocephalus (1.5%). Affected fish showed varying levels of tissue damage and pathological alterations including mild to severe degenerative, necrotic, and inflammatory changes in the affected organs.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abbas A, El-Akabawy LM, Tantawy AA (2001) Pathological and parasitological investigation of eels (Anguilla anguilla) naturally infested with Anguillicola crassus and Pseudoergasilus zacconis in Egypt. Vet Med J Giza 49:277–289
Aguilar A, Alvarez MF, Leiro JM, Sanmartin M (2005) Parasite populations of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) in the Rivers Ulla and Tea (Galicia, northwest Spain). Aquaculture 249:85–94
Borgsteede FHM, Haenen OLM, Jde B, Lisitsina OI (1999) Parasitic infections of European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) in the Netherlands. Helminthologia 36:251–260
Cardoso EM, Saraiva AM (1998) Distribution and seasonal occurrence of Anguillicola crassus (Nematoda: Dracunculoidea) in the European eel Anguilla anguilla L. from rivers of North Portugal. Bull Eur Assoc Fish Pathol 18:136–139
Copland JW (2006a) The occurrence and distribution of Myxidium giardi Cépède, 1906 in wild and cultured European eels, Anguilla anguilla L., in England. J Fish Dis 4:231–242
Copland JW (2006b) The pathology of Myxidium giardi cépéde, 1906 infections in wild and cultured eels, Anguilla anguilla. J Fish Dis 6:451–460
Craig JH, Makoto I, John SC, Kazuo O (2001) First report of the invasive eel pest Pseudodacylogyrus bini in North America and in wild American eels. Dis Aquat Org 44:53–60
De Charleroy D, Grisez L, Thomas K, Belpaire C, Ollevier F (1990) The life cycle of Anguillicola crassus. Dis Aquat Org 8:77–84
Dosoky AA (2007) Some studies on common ectoparasitic and endoparasitic diseases in eel fishes. Ph.D. Thesis, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt
Durborow RM (2003) Protozoan parasites. Southern Regional Aquaculture Center, SRAC Publication No. 4701
El-Shebly AA, El-kady MAH, Hossain MY (2007) A preliminary observation on the pond culture of European eel, Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus, 1758) in Egypt: recommendations for future studies. Pakistan J Biol Sci 10:1050–1055
Genc E (2005) Occurrence of the swimbladder parasite Anguillicola crassus (Nematoda, Dracunculoidea) in European Eels (Anguilla anguilla) in Ceyhan River, Turkey. Turk J Vet Anim Sci 29:661–663
Hoffman GL (1970) Parasites of North American freshwater fishes. California University Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, p 21
Hoglund J, Andersson J, Hardig J (1992) Hematological responses to the European eel, Anguilla anguilla L., to sublethal infestation by Anguillicola crassus in a thermal effluent of the Swedish Baltic. J Fish Dis 15:507–514
Kennedy CR (2001) Metapopulation and community dynamic of helminth parasites of eels Anguilla anguilla in River Exe system. Parasitology 122:689–698
Kennedy CR (2007) The pathogenic helminth parasites of eels. J Fish Dis 30:319–334
Kirk RS, Lewis JW, Kennedy CR (2000) Survival and transmission of Anguillicola crassus Kuwahara, Niimi & Itagaki, 1974 (Nematoda) in seawater eels. Parasitology 120:289–295
Le Breton A, Marques A (1995) Occurrence of a histozoic Myxidium infection in two marine cultured species; Puntazzzo puntazzo and Pagrus major. Bull Eur Assoc Fish Pathol 15:210–212
Lucky Z (1977) Methods for the diagnosis of fish diseases. Ameruno, New Delhi, pp 115–118
Madsen HCK, Buchmann K, Mellergaard S (2000) Trichodina sp. (Ciliophora: Peritrichida) in eel Anguilla anguilla in recirculation systems in Denmark: host–parasite relations. Dis Aquat Org 42920:149–152
Mohamed MH, Nouh WG (2004) Pathological studies on the swim bladder of the Egyptian eels (Anguilla anguilla) infected with Anguillicola crassus. Assiut Vet Med J 50:212–227
Molnar K (1994) Formation of parasitic nodules in the swimbladder and intestinal wall of the eels Anguilla anguilla, due to infection with larval stages of Anguillicola crassus. Dis Aquat Org 20:163–170
Molnar K, Baska F, Csaba G, Glavits R, Szekely C (1993) Pathological and histopathological studies of the swimbladdder of eels Anguilla anguilla infected by Anguillicola crassus (Nematoda: Dracunculoidae). Dis Aquat Org 15:41–50
Nagasawa K, Kim Y, Hirose H (1994) Anguillicola crassus and A. globiceps (Nematoda: Dracunculoidea) parasitic in the swimbladder of eels (Anguilla japonica and A. anguilla) in East Asia: a review. Folia Parasitol 41:87–93
Nielsen ME, Esteve-Gassent MD (2006) The eel immune system: prevent knowledge and the need for research. J Fish Dis 29:65–78
Noga EL (1996) Fish disease: diagnosis and treatment. Mosby, St. Louis, p 366
Paperna I (1991) Diseases caused by parasites in the aquaculture of warm water fish. Annu Rev Fish Dis 1:155–194
Paperna I (1996) Parasite, infections and diseases of fish in Africa–an update. Technical Paper 31, Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations, Rome
Pilcher MW, Moore JF (1993) Distribution and prevalence of Anguillicola crassus in eels from the tidal Thames Catchmet. J Fish Biol 43:339–344
Pillay TV (1990) Aquaculture: principles and practices. Fishing News Book, Oxfordshire, pp 552–559
Rodjuk G, Shelenkova O (2006) Parasite fauna of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla L, 1758) from the Russian part of the Vistula Lagoon (Baltic Sea). Wiad Parazytol 52:121–125
Sures B, Streit B (2001) Eel parasite diversity and intermediate host abundance in the River Rhine, Germany. Parasitology 123(Pt):185–191
Sures B, Knopf K, Kaloas W (2001) Induction of stress by swimbladder nematode Anguillicola crassus in European eels, Anguilla anguilla, after repeated experimental infection. Parasitology 123:179–184
Szekely CS (2006) First occurrence of the eel parasite, Paraquimperia tenerrima in Lake Balaton, Hungary. Bull Eur Assoc Fish Pathol 26:166–169
Thomas K, Ollevier F (1992) Population biology of Anguillicola crassus in the host Anguilla anguilla. Dis Aquat Org 14:163–170
Van Banning P, Haenen OLM (1990) Effects of the swimbladder nematode Anguillicola crassus in wild and farmed eel, Anguilla anguilla. In: Perkins FO, Cheng TC (eds) Pathology in marine science. Academic, New York, pp 317–330
Woo PTK (2006) Fish diseases and disorders, volume I: protozoan and metazoan infections, 2nd edn. CABI, Oxfordshire, pp 230–344
Woo PTK, Bruno DW, Lim LHS (2002) Diseases and disorders of finfish in cage culture. CABI, Oxfordshire, pp 251–252
Zehnder MP, Mariaux J (1999) Molecular systematic analysis of the order Proteocephalidae (Eucestoda) based on mitochondrial and nuclear rDNA sequences. Int J Parasitol 29:1841–1852
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Abdelmonem, A.A., Metwally, M.M., Hussein, H.S. et al. Gross and microscopic pathological changes associated with parasitic infection in European eel (Anguilla anguilla, Linnaeus 1758). Parasitol Res 106, 463–469 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-009-1688-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-009-1688-2