Diversity and host distribution of the external gill parasite Lamproglena monodi (Copepoda: Lernaeidae) among Tilapia species in Egypt: Light and scanning electron microscopic studies

Abstract

Copepods are common component of the ectoparasite assemblages of all kinds of fish, from all environment and ecosystems. Lamproglena monodi is a crustacean copepod known to parasite on several fish species of family Cichlidae in African countries. A few researchers dealt with this parasite in Egypt. A total of 400 cichlids (Redbelly tilapia Tilapia zillii, Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus, Mango tilapia Sarotherodon galilaeus and Blue tilapia Oreochromis aureus) were collected during the period of January-December 2015 from River Nile (Golden Island), Giza Governorate, Egypt. The gills and internal organs were examined for the presence of macro-parasites. The taxonomic consistency of the recorded parasite identification was ensured through the entire study. Prevalence, intensity, abundance and seasonal changes for the recovered parasite species were studied. The highest season of infection were noticed in summer and spring all over the experimental study. The recovered parasite species was identified as L. monodi as it exhibited all the characteristic features described previously for the same species. Therefore, the present study demonstrated that tilapia fish in the study area; represented as a new locality records for infection with L. monodi. In addition, O. aureus recorded as a new host record for the present parasite species.