Metazoan Parasites of Clariid Fishes, Lake Victoria: Reflection of the Original Fauna in the Lake?

Chacha J Mwita

doi:10.4236/ns.2014.69064

Abstract

A total of 32 parasite species were documented from 658 clariid fishes examined. Thirteen species were nematodes, eleven digeneans, three cestodes, two crustaceans, and the Monogenea, Acanthocephala and Hirudinea were each represented by one species. Of the parasites recovered 16 were identified to species level, 12 to genus and 4 parasites were not identified. Most of the parasites recorded in the present study have been reported in fish ofTanzaniaand elsewhere, however, there were a few first records, and these included Neogoezia sp., Comephoronema sp., Travnema sp., Quimperia sp. and Gendria tilapiae. It is stipulated that these parasites represent the original fauna of the lake prior to introduction of the alien species. The clariid fish species investigated were a good model for studying the parasites of fish in the lake because of having a variety of parasites some of which being specific to certain clariid fishes, for instance Diplostomum and Tylodelphys species infecting only C. gariepinus and the camallanids being typical of the clariid fishes.

Highlights

Lake Victoria is famous for its diverse fish fauna—the cichlids and non-cichlids abound [1]
Clariid fishes examined consisted of 319 females and 337 males and the distribution was such that C. gariepinus was found from all the localities surveyed, C. liocephalus from three localities namely Mara bay, Mwanza Gulf and Kagera
Clarias werneri and C. alluaudi were obtained from the Mara bay and Mwanza Gulf

Summary

Introduction

Lake Victoria is famous for its diverse fish fauna—the cichlids and non-cichlids abound [1]. The fish fauna of the lake includes some species introduced between the 1950s and early 1960s namely, the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus and Nile perch, Lates niloticus [2]. Following the boom in the Nile perch abundance, fishing activities in Lake Victoria became commercialised. Nowadays the Nile perch is exploited for the external mar-. How to cite this paper: Mwita, C.J. (2014) Metazoan Parasites of Clariid Fishes, Lake Victoria: Reflection of the Original. Mwita ket and this has stimulated the establishment of fish processing factories along the shores of the lake. Other indigenous fish species are exploited for local consumption

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion