Helminthic Parasites Prevalence and Basic Parameters of Different Fish Species in Zobe Reservoir in Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State

Abstract

Helminth infection in fish has been reported to enormously disrupt aquaculture production, and its economic viability as well as raise community health concerns, so there is a need to assess our environment for fish safety and security. This study was carried out at Zobe Reservoir from October 2023 to January 2024. The fish species examined were Amblyopsis spelaeus, Barbonymus swchanenfeldii, Bregmaceros, Pomfret, Marcusenius brucii, and Oreochromis niloticus.  Three hundred fish specimens were sampled, each for both ecto and endo helminths, length-weight relationship, and the condition factor were analyzed using standard methods. The result obtained for parasitological examinations showed a higher prevalence in ectohelminthic compared to endohelminthic parasites recovered, of which Oreochromis niloticus has the highest parasitic infection prevalence of 60% and Bregmaceros has the lowest 6.0% parasitic prevalence. Ectohelminthic parasites recovered include Benedina, Proteocephalus, Gyrodactylogyrus, and Dactylogyrus while endohelminth found were Astiotrema, Aspidogaster, Monobothrium, Diphylbothrium, Nilonema and Termisentic. The length-weight relationship and conditional factors for all individual fishes indicated a strong correlation and were found to exhibit both allometric and isometric growth patterns with b values ranging from (2.84–3.29) and K values ranging from (0.79–3.50). The mean physicochemical parameters analyzed, including temperature (28.8±1.53), pH (7.9±0.9), turbidity (51.5±23.05), electric conductivity (488±98.1), dissolved oxygen (7.4±3.0) and biological oxygen demand (6.4±3.0). The result indicates that the water quality of the reservoir was quite poor in aiding fish survival from pathogenic helminthic parasites. The study recommends continuous awareness in this community and also the general public, on the prevention of helminth infestation.