A Comparative Study of Helminths Parasites in Catfishes

Fish is one of the best sources of proteins for human beings, so it is important that they should be healthy and free from infections. Fishes are often found infected with a parasites, Trematoda, Nematoda, Cestoda, and Acanthocephala, causing infectious diseases. Among different fish diseases, Gyrodactylus salaris, Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, flukes, are most prevalent in fish population that causes great mortality. In case of severe infection by parasites, fish development is hindered causing emaciation of affected fish. The major parasitic groups found in freshwater fishes are trematodes, cestodes, acanthocephalans and nematodes. In the present study, the prevalence of helminth parasites has been observed two freshwater fishes Channa punctatus (Bloch) and Wallago attu. Live fresh specimens of Channa punctatus (Bloch) and in Wallago attu of all sizes, weight and sex were collected from river gomti, Lucknow and transported from the sampling area to the laboratory in aerated container in dechlorinated water. A total of 180 fishes were examined for the presence of helminth parasites in which a total no. of parasites found in Channa punctatus was 100 and in Wallago attu was 80. In case of Channa punctatus (Bloch) 31 % of total collected fishes and in Wallago attu 13.7 % of total collected fishes were found to be infected with helminth parasites.