Further studies on Cymothoid isopods of some fish species from lake Qarun, Egypt

Document Type : Original Article

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Parasitology Departement,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,Cairo University.

Abstract

Cymothoids are obligate parasites of marine, brackish and freshwater fishes. They were considered to cause significant economic losses to fisheries through mortalities, stunting growth or damaging tissues of the infested fish. In the last 4 years, lake Qarun suffered from isopod infestation causing fish loss and marketing problems. In the present study out of 375 fish samples belonged to Mugil capito (125), Liza carinata (125) and Tilapia zilli (125) were collected from lake Qarun , El Fayoum governorate and seasonally examined for isopod infestation from the beginning of November 2015 till the end of October 2016. The study revealed the isolation of two species of isopods ;  Nerocila orbignyi and Levonica redmani with total infestation rate of 32.53% (21.07% and 11.47%  for Nerocila orbignyi and Levonica redmani respectively) with the highest rate recorded during summer. Histopathological study was conducted for estimating the impacts of L. redmani infestation on the affected tissues of M. capito and revealed complete sloughing of the gill lamellae with eosinophilic granular cells infiltration. The study recommended the need to develop a scientific strategy to control the parasitic isopods and prevent its spread among Egyptian water bodies.

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