Research Article

Distribution of Contracaecum (Nematoda: Anisakidae) larvae in freshwater fish from the northern regions of South Africa

Published in: African Zoology
Volume 50 , issue 2 : Animal parasitology in Africa , 2015 , pages: 133–139

DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2015.1052302

Author(s): Sareh Tavakol Department of Biodiversity, University of Limpopo, South Africa , Willem J Smit Department of Biodiversity, University of Limpopo, South Africa , Joseph R Sara Department of Biodiversity, University of Limpopo, South Africa , Ali Halajian Department of Biodiversity, University of Limpopo, South Africa , Wilmien J Luus-Powell Department of Biodiversity, University of Limpopo, South Africa

Keywords: fish parasite , mean abundance , mean intensity , nematode , prevalence

Download full text Get new issue alerts

Abstract

A total of 1 847 fishes (16 species) from 14 reservoirs in northern and north-eastern regions of South Africa were collected and examined for larval Contracaecum spp. between 2005 and 2013. This study, the first to examine several potential second intermediate hosts, found Clarias gariepinus, Coptodon rendalli, Cyprinus carpio, Hydrocynus vittatus, Labeobarbus marequensis, Marcusenius macrolepidotus, Micropterus salmoides, Oreochromis mossambicus and Schilbe intermedius infected with the third-stage larvae. Coptodon rendalli, Marcusenius macrolepidotus and Micropterus salmoides are new host records for South Africa. A generalised linear model identified locality as the main factor affecting parasite burden.

« Temporal changes in cranial size in South African vlei rats (Otomys): evidence for the ‘third universal response to warming’

A brief history of freshwater fish parasitology in southern Africa »