ENDOPARASITIC INFESTATION IN CHANNA PUNCTATUS (BLOCH, 1793) COLLECTED FROM DIFFERENT WATER BODIES IN SYLHET REGION

Abstract

The present study was conducted to determine the endoparasitic infestation and their effects on the growth of Channa punctatus from different water bodies in Sylhet during the period from May 2014 to September 2014. Six different species of parasites identified from the hosts examined were i) Euclinostomum multicaecum, ii) Allocreadium handiai, iii) Genarchopsis dasus, iv) Isoparorchys hypselobagri, v) Camallanus intestinalus and vi) Pellisentis ophiocephali. Moderate infestations were found in C. punctatus due to parasites. Prevalence was different in different months. The highest prevalence was observed in May (75.00%) and lowest observer in June (55.56%). Changes in the nature of growth and loss of weight as a result of parasitic infestation were noticed. Accordingly length, weight and condition factors were found greatly affected. Loss of total length was 2.68%. The losses of weight and condition factor were 10.45% and 0.03, respectively. The loss of gonad weights were also observed in infested male and female hosts and they were 5.26% and 3.64%, respectively.