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doi:10.5897/ajfs07.056

Abstract

  Fungi were isolated from fresh brown shrimps (Penaeus aztecus) purchased from three different markets in Port Harcourt using standard mycological methods. The total counts of heterotrophic fungi range from 2.0 x 104 spore forming units per gram (sfu/g) to 7.1 x 104 sfu/g, while the total counts for pathogenic fungi range from 1.7 x 104 sfu/g to 7.1 x 104 sfu/g. The heterotrophic fungi and their percentage occurrence in the head, exoskeleton and telson/uropod (H/E/T) before deterioration and about deterioration were:Aspergillus clavatus (20%), Aspergillus flavus (20%), Penicillium sp. (20%), Rhizopussp. (20%), Rhodotorula sp. (20%), Mucor hiemalis (14.3%), Penicilllium sp. (14.3%),Rhizopus sp. (14.3%), Rhizopus stolonifer (14.3%), yeast sp. (14.3%). While the pathogenic fungal occurrence before deterioration and about deterioration in the H/E/T were: A. clavatus (11.1%), A. flavus (22.2%), Penicillium sp. (33.3%), Rhizopus oryzae(11.1%), Rhodotorula sp. (11.1%), yeast sp. (11.1%), and A. clavatus (12.5%), A. flavus(12.5%), M. hiemalis (12.5%), Penicillium sp. (12.5%), Rhodotorula sp. (12.5%) and yeast sp. (37.5%). The presence of these fungi in the shrimps is attributed to contamination from the environment and from shrimp handlers (mongers). Also, some of these fungi are normal flora of the shrimp which unfortunately happens to be opportunistic pathogens or pathogens of humans. The maintenance of high personal and environmental hygiene as well as proper heating and cooking will improve fresh shrimp quality and prevent food-borne diseases.   Key words: Shrimps, contamination, pathogenic fungi, food-borne diseases.

Highlights

Brown shrimp is a small free-swimming edible crustacean with 10 legs
The mean results of the total count of heterotrophic fungi per gram of flesh of shrimps from Creek Road market, Mile One market and Town market before deterioration ranged from 6.5 x 104 to 3 x 104 sfu/g, 4.1 x 104 to 2 x 104 cfu/g, and from 6.5 x 104 to 3 x 104 sfu/g while fungal counts in flesh of shrimps about deterioration ranged from 5.1 x 104 to 9 x 104 sfu/g, 3.1 x 104 to 6.0 x 106 sfu/g and from 5.1 x 104 to 9 x 10-4 sfu/g, respectively
The presence of fungal species in the shrimps is attributed to contamination from shrimp handlers or processors or sellers

Summary

Introduction

Brown shrimp is a small free-swimming edible crustacean with 10 legs. It is basically marine commonly found in estuaries and along coastal waters. Brown shrimps are scavengers generally termed bottom-feeding opportunistic omnivores, which means they feed on most organic materials- dead plant or animal matter that they encounter at the bottom. They consume some algal species (that is, filamentous green algae, benthic diatoms, plant detritus), invertebrates such as copepods, mollusks, and annelids (Dall, 1968; Odum and Herald, 1972). Shrimps between the sizes of 65 to 100 mm in length became predatory, feeding on annelid worms, amphipods, zooplankton larvae, and nematodes (Jones, 1973)

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