Community structure analysis of endoparasitic helminths of Anabas testudineus from unpolluted and polluted sites of a freshwater body of Dhaka

Abstract

Community structure of metazoan endoparasites of Anabas testudineus collected from an unpolluted and a polluted water body was determined. Out of 100 A. testudineus observed, 78% was parasitized by at least one species of endohelminth parasite. Eight metazoan endoparasites were recorded. Nematode showed higher prevalence than trematode. One species was accounted as satellite species and others as secondary. Larger hosts were more abundantly infected than the smaller ones as positive correlation was observed between the standard length of the hosts and the abundance/ prevalence of all parasites. Maximum parasite species followed a typical overdispersed type of distribution pattern. Parasite species richness was lower in fish from polluted (4) than unpolluted water (6). Per cent similarity of infestation between the sample hosts was high (55.73%). Three common parasite species from both sample hosts showed insignificant difference in intensity of infestation in relation to host habitat. Host sex had influenced infestation at infra-community but not at component community level. Interspecies association between parasites was strong in fish from unpolluted in comparision from polluted water. Host's habitat quality also played an influential role in building parasite community, diversity and other associated community indices.

Abundance and distribution of endoparasitic helminths in Anabas testudineus (Bloch, 1792) from a polluted beel of Bangladesh

“…Investigation of pollution effect on parasitic communities is scarce in Bangladesh, only Ghani et al (2014) compared the community structure of endoparasitic helminths of Anabas testudineus from unpolluted and polluted sites of a freshwater body near Dhaka. Ghani and Bhuiyan (2011) worked on the community structure of endoparasitic helminths of Channa punctatus from a freshwater river and a polluted lagoon of Bangladesh.…”

Comparative study of protozoan parasite communities between Anabas testudineus and Channa punctatus

“…However, the report on the fish parasites, their frequency and distribution in fish is very inadequate in Bangladesh. Various metazoan parasites like monogeneans, digeneans, larval cestodes and ectoparasitic crustaceans have been reported in these host fish of Bangladesh (6)(7)(8)(9)(10) but report on protozoan parasites are limited and not homogeneous. Moreover, they were not been studied thoroughly in Bangladesh and only a little knowledge about the distribution, occurrence of ecto-protozoan parasite of A. testudineus and C. punctatus is available (11)(12)(13)(14) .…”