LOCALLY FISH PARASiTES IN BD

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Present Status of Available Common Fish Parasites in Bangladesh
Introduction
Fish parasitological investigation and research performed in Bangladesh has been reviewed
through study of available literature. Considerable works mainly on systematics, nature of
infestation and pathology of different groups of fish parasites- protozoa, helminths and crustacea
have been done. A total of 290 species of parasites have so far been recorded from freshwater and
marine fishes in Bangladesh. Parasite is an important group of pathogen causes infection and
diseases of fish both in freshwater and marine environments. With the increasing interests in
aquaculture parasitic infestations are becoming threats for fish health management and aquatic
crop production throughout the world. It is therefore an essential area for proper attention to be
given by the scientists for sustainable aquaculture production.
Need of Parasitological Study in Bangladesh Perspective
 Parasitological study is necessary in Bangladesh as it can influence aquaculture production.
 Even though unwanted organisms or parasites are usually regarded as dangerous, the actual
removal of most unwanted organisms or parasites may not always become helpful.
 Parasite are more diverse and indicator of waste water and causes many fish diseases, so
the study is needed more badly to reduce the production lose.
 As a fisheries graduate, we have to gain knowledge about their name, type, infected organ,
host name, diseases and other information to provide or suggest the fish farmer.
Materials and Methods
To find out parasites, fish must be examined fresh while the parasites are still alive because their
movement aids in locating and identifying them. There is a total of 290 species of parasites
recorded by the researcher from different waterbodies like freshwater and marine water in
Bangladesh. These parasites are grouped by protozoa, monogenea, digenea, trematode, nematode,
crustacea, annelids, cestodes, acanthocephala, copepods, leeches. In this study it has been shown
the parasite group, name of the parasites and their host name with a figure of the parasite. The full
information collected from several books, journals, research papers, internets and other
parasitological study. The course instructor of Fish Pathology-II also provided the full guideline
to complete this study for make the available parasites in Bangladesh associated with fish.

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LIST OF PARASITE AND HOSTS IN BANGLADESH:
Sl
No.
Parasite Name Host Species Infected
organ/
Location
Picture Citation
1. Ichthyophthirius
multifiliis
Catla catla
Cirrhinus
cirrhosus
Labeo rohita
body surface Hossain and
Barua 1991
2. Ichthyophthirius
sp.
Cirrhinus
cirrhosus
not specified Hossain 1993
3. Chilodonella sp. Catla catla
Cyprinus carpio
Oreochromis
niloticus niloticus
gills, skin Hossain and
Khan 1992
4. Trichodina sp. Catla catla
Channa punctata
Cirrhinus
cirrhosus Clarias
batrachus
C. gariepinus
Ctenopharyngodon
idellus
gills, skin 1.Hossain and
Khan 1992;
2. Anon. 1992,
3.1993(Chittag
ong, Rajshahi);
4. Chowdhury
1993;
5. Hossain
1993;

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Cyprinus carpio
Hypopthalmichthys
molitrix
Labeo rohita
Mastacembelus sp.
Carp
6. Banu et al.
1993 (Dhaka)
5. Thelohanellus
dogieli
Labeo rohita epidermis at
base of fins
Hossain et al.
1978
6. Myxobolidae gen.
sp.
Catla catla gills Golder et al.
(1983).
7. Myxobolus sp. Barbodes
gonionotus
Catla catla
Cirrhinus
cirrhosus Clarias
batrachus
Ctenopharyngodon
idellus
Labeo rohita
gills, skin Sanaullah and
Ahmed 1980
(Chittagong,
Dhaka)
8. Protozoa gen. sp. Catla catla
Heteropneustes
fossilis
skin, muscles Anon. 1974
9. Clinostomum
complanatum
Clarias batrachus
Heteropneustes
fossilis
skin, fins,
gills, muscle
Chandra and
Banerjee
1993b

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10. Clinostomum
giganticum
Nandus nandus body cavity Chandra &
Banerjee
1993b
11. Neascus sp. Catla catla
Cirrhinus
cirrhosus Labeo
rohita
skin Sanaullah
1984
12. Euclinostomum
heterostomum
Channa punctata
C. striata
liver Chandra and
Banerjee
1993b
13. Posthodiplostomum
minimum
Clarias batrachus muscle,
viscera
Ahmed and
Ezaz 1997

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14. Bucephalus mystusi Sperata aor intestine Chandra and
Banerjee
1993a
15. Faustula
brevichrus
Tenualosa ilisha intestine Bashirullah
1973a
16. Rhynchopharynx
paradoxa
Macrognathus
aculeatus
stomach,
intestine
Khanum and
Parveen 1997
17. Genarchopsis sp. Clupisoma garua
Glossogobius
giuris Silonia
silondia
stomach,
intestine
Ahmed and
Begum 1978
18. Isoparorchis
hypselobagri
Channa marulius
C. punctata
C. striata
Clupisoma garua
Eutropiichthys
vacha
Mastacembelus
armatus
Mystus cavasius
Swimbladder,
body cavity,
muscle,
liver,
stomach,
intestine,
visceral
surfaces
1. Bashirullah
1972a
(Dhaka),
2. 1973a
(Dhaka &/or
Sylhet);
3. Anon. 1974
(Chittagong);
4. Ahmed
1981 (-), 5.
1996 (-); 6.

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M. tengara
M. vittatus
Nandus nandus
Ompok
bimaculatus O.
pabda
Sperata aor
Wallago attu
Chowdhury et
al. 1986
(Dhaka)
19. Allocreadium
handiai
Channa punctata
Clupisoma garua
Glossogobius
giuris
Heteropneustes
fossilis
Mystus cavasius
M. tengara
intestine 1. Coil and
Kuntz 1960
(Dhaka);
2. Banerjee
and Chandra
1993 (Dhaka);
3. Chandra
1993b (Dhaka)
20. Neopecoelina
saharanpuriensis
Anabas testudineus
Channa punctata
Heteropneustes
fossilis
stomach,
intestine,
stomach wall
Bashirullah
and Eliah
1972b
21. Phyllodistomum
folium
Channa striata
Clarias batrachus
Glossogobius
giuris Ompok
bimaculatus
urinary
bladder,
intestine
body cavity
mesenteries
1. Ahmed and
Begum 1978
(Dhaka);
2. Ahmed 198;
3. Khanum et
al.
22. Palaeorchis sp. Channa punctata
Clarias batratchus
Clupisoma garua
Eutropiichthys
vacha
stomach,
intestine
1. Bashirullah
1973a (Dhaka
&/or Sylhet);
2. Ahmed
1981;

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Heteropneustes
fossilis
Mystus vittatus
Puntius sarana
3. Ahmed and
Saha 1983
(Barisal,
Dhaka); 4.
Chandra 1993b
(Dhaka)
23. Digenea gen. sp. Channa marulius
C. punctata
C. striata
Clarias batrachus
Cyprinus carpio
Eutropiichthys
vacha
Glossogobius
giuris
Heteropneustes
fossilis
Nandus nandus
Ompok
bimaculatus O.
pabda
Puntius sophore
Silonia silondia
Tenualosa ilisha
Wallago attu
stomach,
intestine,
liver;
muscles,
body cavity,
swimbladder,
gills
1. Ali 1968 (-
)26; 2.
Bashirullah
1973a
24. Dactylogyrus sp. Anabas testudineus
Catla catla
Cirrhinus
cirrhosus Clarias
batrachus
Ctenopharyngodon
idellus
Location:
gills, skin
1. Sanaullah
and Ahmed
1980;
2. Hossain and
Khan 1992;
3. Anon. 1992

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Cyprinus carpio
Heteropneustes
fossilis
Hypopthalmichthys
molitrix
Labeo rohita
25. Ascaridoidea gen.
sp.
Glossogobius
giuris
Heteropneustes
fossilis
Xenentodon
cancila
stomach,
intestine,
liver, body
cavity
Akhtar et al.
1989 (Dhaka)
26. Quimperiidaegen.
sp.
Channa marulius
C. striata
Chirocentrusnudus
Clarias batrachus
Glossogobiusgiuris
Heteropneustes
fossilis
Psettodeserumei
Trichiurus lepturus
bodycavity,
viscera,
muscle,
stomach,
intestine
Bashirullah
1973a (Bay of
Bengal) Ahmed
and Sanaullah
1976 (-)70
27. Camallanussp. Channa marulius
Chirocentrusdorab
Clarias batrachus
Glossogobiusgiuris
Puntius sophore
intestine 1.Bashirullah
1973a (Bay of
Bengal,Dhaka
&/or Sylhet);2.
Ahmed1981 (-);
3. Ahmedand
Ezaz 1997 (-)
28. Neocamallanus
ophicephali
Channa marulius
C. punctata
C. striata
pyloriccaeca,
intestine
Khanand
Yaseen1969
(Sylhet)

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30. Procamallanussp. Channa punctata
Clarias batrachus
Eutropiichthysvacha
Heteropneustes
fossilis
catfish
intestine,body
cavity
1. Aminet al.
1982 (Dhaka);
2. Hossainet al.
1982 (Dhaka)
31. Pallisentis sp. Channa gachua
C. marulius
C. punctata
C. striata
Clarias batrachus
Colisa fasciatus
Cyprinuscarpio
Glossogobiusgiuris
Mystusvittatus
Nandusnandus
Otolithoidespama
Silonia silondia
Tenualosa ilisha
intestine,body
cavity,viscera
1. Ali 1968;
2. Bashirullah
1973a (Dhaka
&/or Sylhet);3.
Anon.1974
32. Piscicola sp. Clarias gariepinus skin Banu etal. 1993
33. Hirudinea gen. sp. Fish body surface bodysurface Golderetal.
1983
34. Argulusbengalensis Eutropiichthys external
surface
Anon.1974

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35. Argulussp Catla catla
Channa striata
Cirrhinuscirrhosus
Colisa fasciatus
Ctenopharyngodon
idellus
Heteropneustes
fossilis
Labeo rohita
Notopterus
notopterus
Ompokpabda
Oreochromis
mossambicus
O. niloticusniloticus
carp
Tilapia
skin,fins,
eyes,gills
1. Rahman 1967
(Chittagong),
2. Anon.1974
(Barisal,
Chittagong)
36. Lernaea cyprinacea Channa punctata
Clarias batrachus
Colisa fasciatus
Puntiussophore
skin,under
accessory
respiratory
organs,above
gill clefts,liver,
abdomenal
muscles
1. Hossainet al.
1978 (Dhaka);
2. Zaman and
Akhtar1990
37. Lernaea sp. Ctenopharyngodon
idellus
Hypopthalmichthys
molitrix
skin 1. Sanaullah
1993;
2. Chowdhury
1993;
3. Banu et al.
1993 (Dhaka)

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Recommendation
From aquaculture point of view the specific recommendations are as follows:
 Baseline studies on identification of parasites of hatchery, nursery, rearing and culturing ponds
 Influence of environmental factors (physico-chemical and biological) and agricultural
pesticides which increase the susceptibility of fish towards parasitic infestation.
 Histopathological studies of fish diseases caused by parasites which could be used as key
indicator of particular disease.
 Preventive and therapeutic measures suitable and appropriate for farms particularly using
locally available materials.
Conclusion
A total of 290 species of parasites have so far been recorded from freshwater and marine fishes in
Bangladesh. Ectoparasitic protozoans and monogenetic trematodes are recorded mainly from
cultured fish species of farms. Two helminth parasites of zoonotic importance Dibothriocephalus
latus and Gnathostoma spinigerum are also reported from Bangladesh fishes. Much attention has
been given on caryophyllid cestodes of two catfishes Magur and Singhi. Few fish diseases of
parasitic origin have been reported and studied. Commonly occurring parasitic diseases are
agrulosis (fish louse), ichthyophthiriasis (white spot) and myxoboliasis. Only few attempts were
taken to their control measures using simple chemicals like salt, lime, formalin, dipterex and
sumithion. Recommendation has been made for the future works on parasitology for sustainable
production of healthy fish.

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References
 Hossain, M. M. 1995. Studies on the monogenean gill parasites of three Puntius species of
Mymensingh. M.S. thesis in Aquaculture, BAU, Mymensingh. pp. 66-70.
 Chandra. K. J. 2005. Fish Parasitological Studies in Bangladesh: A Reveiew. J Agric Rural
Dev 4 (1&2) 9-18. June 2006.
 Rahman, M. R. and Parween, S. 2001. Parasitic infestation in relation to length of
Heteropneustes fossilis, Channa punctatus and Colisa fasciatus. Univ. J. Zool. Rajshahi
Univ. 20, 53 - 56.
 Rahman, M. R. and Jahan, M.S. 2002. Consequences of Larval Helminth Infecting
Freshwater Gastropods. Bangladesh J. Zool. 30(2), 101-114.