Biodiversity and Efficiency of fish helminths parasites as a possible bioindicator of water quality in Jazan coastal area, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The present study was presented to assess a database about the helminthes parasites species infested marine fish in Jazan coastal area. Thus, the following sites were selected; Jazan Fishing site, Jazan coast near Aramco Company and the coastal area near the sewage treatment station. Emperor fish Lethrinus sp ., rabbitfish Siganus rivulatus, Greasy grouper Epinephelus tauvina, and the marinefish Carangoides orthogrammus were investigated. Water criteria; pH, dissolved oxygen and conductivity were determined for the selected sites. Four trematodes, two nematodes, one acanthocephalan species were detected. Larval stages of trematode, cestode, nematode and acanthocephalan were isolated. A high prevalence of infection was recorded for trematode and nematode parasites in Epinephelus tauvina, Lethrinus nebulosus, and Siganus rivulatus. No significant effect was shown for body weight or sex on the abundance of helminth parasites. Shannon-Wiener diversity index studies demonstrated the highest diversity of helminth parasites for the fishing areas and lowest helminth diversity infected Siganus rivulatus collected from the coastal area near sewage treatment station or Aramco Company. Regression analysis data showed high significant relationship between pH and conductivity on the abundance of trematode, nematode and Acanthocephala and between the dissolved oxygen concentration and the abundance of nematode and Acanthocephala at the three examined sites. Data were discussed to assess the efficiency of helminthes parasites as bioindicator for water quality in the Jazan marine ecosystem.