%0 Journal Article
%T The Community of Parasites Infecting <i>Clarias gariepinus</i> in the Tanzanian Waters: A Case of Lake Victoria
%A Chacha John Mwita
%J Open Journal of Ecology
%P 873-882
%@ 2162-1993
%D 2014
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/oje.2014.414073
%X <p style=\"text-align:justify;\">
	<span style=\"font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;\"><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\">Quantitative variations in parasites were investigated with respect to
sex and size of </span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\">Clarias gariepinus</span></i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\">,
season and localities sampled. Parasitic infection in male and female fish was
not significantly different; prevalence (Man-Whitney paired sample test, U =
135.5, </span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\">p</span></i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\"> = 0.7697), mean intensity (U
= 136, </span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\">p</span></i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\"> = 0.7829). Based on
Kruskal-Wallis test analysis, the prevalence and mean intensity of five
parasite species varied significantly among the three localities sampled. Adult
parasites in </span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\">Clarias gariepinus</span></i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\"> showed high abundance during the dry season while the larval forms showed high
abundance in the wet season. In most of the parasite species analyzed the
abundance varied significantly with host size. The abundance of </span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\">Dolops ranarum</span></i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\">,</span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\"> Paracamallanus cyatopharynx</span></i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\"> and </span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\">Eumasenia bangweulensis</span></i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\"> for instance, increased with fish size,
while that of </span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\">Diplostomum mashonense</span></i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\">, </span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\">Tylodelphys</span></i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\"> species, </span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\">Astiotrema reniferum</span></i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\">, piscicolid leeches
and </span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\">Monobothrioides woodlandi</span></i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:12px;\"> increased
initially but decreased as fish length reached 31 - 40 cm. Total parasite
burden increased in fish of
%K Population Biology
%K Parasites
%K &lt
%K i&gt
%K Clarias gariepinus&lt
%K /i&gt
%K Lake Victoria
%K Tanzania
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=50902