ABSTRACT
Fish constitute a major component of diet for the people of Northeast India and they are extensively used as a protein-rich food for human consumption. The present studies incorporate the spectrum, composition and diversity of the parasitic species in freshwater fishes in Meghalaya, Northeast India, with a view to identifying the species recovered by morphological criteria based on light microscopy. The collection sites included sixteen foci from eleven districts of Meghalaya for parasites occurring in the common food fishes (Cypriniformes, Channiformes, Silurformes, Symbranchiformes and Anguilliformes). The helminth parasite spectrum recovered from the various piscine host species in the study area comprised of a total of 19 taxa: 2 monogenean, 8 trematode (4 adult and 4 metacercarial stages), 12 cestode (11 adult and a metacestode stage), 6 nematode (3 adult and 3 larval stages) and a single acanthocephalan species. A checklist of the parasite species with short remarks for each is provided herein.
ABSTRACT
Freshwater fishes in Manipur, Northeast India frequently harbour several types of metacercariae, which based on morphological criteria were identified as Clinostomoides brieni, Euclinostomum heterostomum (Clinostomidae) and Polylekithum sp. (Allocreadiidae). Molecular techniques utilizing PCR amplification of rDNA regions of larger subunit (LSU or 28S), smaller subunit (SSU or 18S) and inter transcribed spacers (ITS1, 2) were used for molecular characterization of these types. Sequences generated from the metacercariae were compared with their related sequences available in public databases; an analysis of the identity matrices and phylogenetic trees constructed was also carried out, which confirmed their identification. Similarly, the sequences generated from Polylekithum sp. were found to be highly similar to the species of the same genus. The rDNA ITS2 secondary structure provided additional confirmation of the robustness of the molecular marker as a tool for taxon-specific characterization.
ABSTRACT
The edible freshwater fishes of several genera including Labeo, Cyprinus, Cirrhinus, Danio, Puntius, Garra (Cypriniformes), Channa (Channiformes), Clarias, Heteropneustes, Rita, Monopterus, Ompak, Bagarius and Mystus (Siluriformes) in Meghalaya State were examined for their helminth parasite spectrum. Two monogenean flukes representing the genera Diplozoon and Bifurcohaptor were recovered from the gills of the host fish, which are redescribed herein and their descriptions supplemented with information on their surface fine topography. Labeo pangusia and L. boga constitute new host records for the diplozoid monogenean. Both the monogenean species are reported for the first time from the fishes in Meghalaya, a new locality record.
