Abstract
The prevalence, mean intensity and abundance of ectoparasites (monogeneans and trichodinids) from Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus were investigated during different seasons of two consecutive years, from January 2011 to December 2012. A total of 360 O. niloticus was collected from three fish farms located in the central region of Saudi Arabia. Prevalence, mean intensity and mean abundance of monogeneans on fish gills were found to be significantly (p < 0.01) higher in farm(C) (81.67, 495.23, 405.84 %) than farm (A) (7.5, 81.25, 8.34 %) and farm (B) (4.17, 62.5, 5 %) respectively. Similarly, the same parameters for trichodinids on gills were found to be significantly (p < 0.01) higher in farm (C) (97.5, 97.5, 97.5 %), followed by farm (A) (39.17, 234.37, 35.00 %) and farm (B) (6.67, 347.92, 30.00 %) respectively. The results of monogenean parameter on fish skin were found to be significantly (p < 0.01) higher in farm (C) (66.67, 443.68, 294.16) followed by farm (A) (16.67, 124.58, 21.67 %) then farm (B) (0.83, 25, 0.83 %) respectively. Similar results for trichodinid parameters on the skin were found to be higher (p < 0.01) in farm (C) (97.5, 875, 857.5 %), then farm (A) (26.67, 399.70, 215.01 %) and farm (B) (4.17, 154.17, 12.5 %) respectively. These results indicated that water quality and nutritional qualities were the major factors that affecting parasite occurrence, while the effect of temperature, seasonality and stocking density might have a secondary role on ectoparasite occurrence. Further studies should investigate that how the nutritional and water qualities affect the immunity of the fish to resist parasite infection.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abd El-Galil MA, Aboelhadid SM (2012) Trials for the control of trichodinosis and gyrodactylosis in hatchery reared Oreochromis niloticus fries by using garlic. Vet Parasitol 185:62–73
Abdel-Baki AAS, Al-Quraishy S (2014) First record of Chilodonella spp. (Ciliophora: Chilodonellidae) in cultured Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in the central region of Saudi Arabia. Pak J Zool 46(3):657–660
Al-Harbi AH (2011) A monogenic trematode (Dactylogyrus sp.) associated with wild hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus x O. aureus) mortality. Bioscan 6:1–3
Al-Harbi AH, Ali SA (2001) Assessment of the water quality of four fish farms in Al-Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. Arab Gulf J Sci Res 19:28–34
Basson L, Van As JG (2006) Trichodinidae and other ciliophorans (Phylum Ciliophora). In: Woo PTK (ed) Fish diseases and disorders, 2nd edn. Cab International, 1: Protozoan and Metazoan infections, pp 154–182
Buchmann K, Lindestrom T (2002) Interactions between monogenean parasites and their fish hosts. Int J Parasitol 32:309–319
Bush AO, Lafferty KD, Lotz JM, Shostak AW et al (1997) Parasitology meets ecology on its own terms: Margolis et al. revisited. J Parasitol 83:575–583
Bush OA, Fernandez JC, Esch GW, Seed RJ (2001) Parasitism: the diversity and ecology of animal parasites. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
García-Vásquez A, Hansen H, Shinn AP (2007) A revised description of Gyrodactylus cichlidarum Paperna, 1968 (Gyrodactylidae) from the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus niloticus (Cichlidae), and its synonymy with G. niloticus Cone, Arthur et Bondad-Reantaso, 1995. Folia Parasitol 54:129–140
Hassan MAH (1999) Trichodiniasis in farmed freshwater tilapia in eastern Saudi Arabia. J King Abdulaziz Univ Mar Sci 10:157–168
Jerônimo GT, Speck GM, Cechinel MM, Gonçalves ELT, Martins ML (2011) Seasonal variation on the ectoparasitic communities of Nile tilapia cultured in three regions in southern Brazil. Braz J Biol 71:365–373
Kabata Z (1985) Parasites and diseases of fish cultured in the tropics. Taylor & Francis, London, Philadelphia, p 318
Kalantan AMN, Al-Harbi AH, Arfin M (1999) On the metacercaria of Centrocestus formosanus (Trematoda: Heterophyidate) Nishigori, 1924 (Digenea: Heterophyidae) from Oreochromis niloticus in Saudi Arabia and its development in various definitive hosts. J Parasitol Appl Animal Biol 8:83–94
Madanire-Moyo G, Barson M (2010) Diversity of metazoan parasites of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) as indicators of pollution in a subtropical African river system. J Helminthol 84:216–227
Moraes FR, Martins ML (2004) Predisposing conditions and principal diseases of intensive fish farming teleosts. In: Cyprino JEP, Urbinatti EC, Fracalossi DM, Castagnolli N (eds) Especial topics in intensive freshwater fish culture in the Tropics. TecArt, São Paulo, pp 343–383
Ogawa K (2008) Significant and emerging parasitic diseases of finfish. In: Bondad Reantaso MG, Jones JB, Corsin F, Aoki T (eds) Proceedings of the seventh symposium on diseases in asian aquaculture. Fish Health Section, Asian Fisheries Society, Selangor, Malaysia
Paperna I (1996) Parasites, infections, and diseases of fishes in Africa—an update. CIFA Technical Paper 31, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Rome
Pariselle A, Euzet L (2009) Systematic revision of dactylogyridean parasites (Monogenea) from cichlid fishes in Africa, the Levant and Madagascar. Zoosystema 31:849–898
Poulin R (1992) Toxic pollution and parasitism in freshwater fish. Parasitol Today 8:51–61
Poulin R, Morand S (2000) The diversity of parasites. Q Rev Biol 75:277–293
Roberts LS, Janovy J (2000) Foundations of parasitology, 6th edn. McGraw-Hill International editions, Boston
Scholz T (1999) Parasites in cultured and feral fish. Vet Parasitol 84:317–335
Siddiqui AQ, Al-Harbi AH (1995) Evaluation of three Species of tilapia, red tilapia and a hybrid tilapia as culture species in Saudi Arabia. Aquaculture 138:145–157
Sokal RR, Rohlf FJ (1995) Biometry: the principles and practice of statistics in biological research, 3rd edn. WH Freeman, New York, p 887
Thoney DA, Hargis WJ (1991) Monogenea Plathyhelminthes as hazards for fish in confinement. Ann Rev Fish Dis 1:133–153
Valladão GMR, Pádua SB, Gallani SU, Menezes-Filho RN, Dias-Neto J, Martins ML, Ishikawa MM, Pilarski F (2013) Paratrichodina africana (Ciliophora): a pathogenic gill parasite in farmed Nile tilapia. Vet Parasitol 197:705–710
Whittington ID, Chisholm IA (2003) Diversity of Monogenea from Chondrichthyes: Do monogeneans fear sharks? In: Combes C, Jourdane J (eds) Taxonomie, Écologie et Évolution des Métazoaires Parasites. (Livre hommage à Louis Eu-zet). Tome 2. Presses Universitaires de Perpignan, Perpignan, pp 339–363
Xu D-H, Shoemaker CA, Klesius PH (2007) Evaluation of the link between gyrodactylosis and streptococcosis of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.). J Fish Dis 30:233–238
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to king Saud University and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), KSA for the research support.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Suliman, E.M., Al-Harbi, A.H. Prevalence and seasonal variation of ectoparasites in cultured Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus in Saudi Arabia. J Parasit Dis 40, 1487–1493 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-015-0717-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-015-0717-6