OCCURRENCE OF ARGULUS (CRUSTACEA: BRANCHIURA) INFISHES OF THE FRESHWATER RESERVOIRS AND AQUARIUMSHOPS OF VADODARA, GUJARAT (INDIA)Gazala Sheikh, Smit Lende, Rajesh Vasava, Chirag Bhadesiya and Pradeep MankodiAbstract Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food producing sectors in the world and it is a highly riskybusiness. It is greatly dependent on health of fishes and higher economic losses can be incurred due todisease problems. In India, major freshwater fishes are affected by parasitic diseases. Argulus is a majorectoparasite that can cause clinical infestation and moderate to severe disease causing huge losses to thefish farmer or aquaculturist. Moreover, occurrence of Argulus has not been investigated in many regions ofGujarat state, India. Their abundance and clinical lesions can reduce the productivity. Hence, a study wasundertaken to investigate the presence and abundance of the Argulus parasite from the freshwater resourcesand Aquarium shops, including the cultivable and ornamental fishes in and around Vadodara district,Gujarat (India). A total of 212 specimens of cultivable and ornamental fishes were sampled and subjected tolaboratory examination. The parasites were mostly collected from the bodyâs surface. The specimens collectedfrom infected fishes were identified as Argulus belonging to Subphylum Crustacea and Subclass Branchiura.It was observed that Argulus affects ornamental fish and IMCs where the total incidence and abundancewas observed higher in ornamental fishes (49.50 % and 2.50, respectively) as compared to Indian majorcarp (IMCs; 25.22 % and 1.59, respectively). Ornamental fishes were infested with a large number of parasitesas compared to IMCs. The present study is the first ever report of parasitic infection in freshwater fishesfrom the study area. |