Acanthocephalan(Echinorhynchus sp.)infection of yellowfin tuna(Thunnus albacares)from Nagapattinam,south east coast of India

Objective:To recored the infection of Acanthocephalan parasite,(Echinorhynchus sp.)in adult yellowfin tuna(Thunnus albacares).This is the first report of acanthocephalan Echinirhynchus sp attached to yellowfin tuna and moreover prevalence,mean intensity and mean abundance was observed.Methods:Totally 1001 yellowfin tuna fishes were collected throughout the year of 2012 from the coast of Nagapattinam(10°45'36.25"N and 79°50'59.54"E),Tamil Nadu,India.The collected fishes were washed with fresh water to remove debris and immediately stored in ice,and brought to the laboratory.Intestines were placed in normal saline(0.85%NaCl).The worms were fixed in alcohol/formalin/(AFA)fixative and in 70%ethanol until processed for identification.Results:Totally 1001 yellowfin tuna was examined out of 387(52.67%)hosts were infected with acanthocephalan(Echinorhynchus sp.).The proboscis Echinorhynchus sp.was long,cylindrical with cylindrical with a uniform width measured(0.41±0.02)mm in length and(0.12±0.03)mm in width.The endo parasite prevalence,intensity and abundance was recorded as 52.67%,12.46%,and 5.43%respectively.Conclusions:This current phenomena was carried out to report of acanthocephalan Echinorhynchus sp.attached the new host of yellowfin tuna from Nagapattinam coast.Moreover,parasitological investigations are required to determine endo parasites of host due to its importance and numerous occurring among most important marine food fishes in world wild.

Occurrence of a nematode Philometra(Costa,1845)in the ovaries of Epinephelus malabaricus(Bloch&Schneider,1801)in southeast coast of India

Objective:To study the prevalence of philometrid nematode,Philometra spp.infected in the ovaries of Epinephelus malabaricus(E.malabaricus)from southeast coast of India.Methods:Totally 4801 fishes were collected from Mandabam,Tuticorin and Kanyakumari.The normal and infected ovaries were carefully removed from dissected fishes and the prevalence of nematode infection for each fish was examined.Then the nematode were carefully removed and washed in a 0.6%saline solution and fixed in 70%ethanol.Representative nematodes were cleaned with glycerin and fixed in a solution of 95%glacial acitic acid and 5%formalin for identification under light microscopy.Results:Of which 16.8%,16.2%and 14.7%parasitic prevalence was observed from Mandabam,Tuticorin and Kanyakumari respectively.The intensity of parasitic worms per fish varied from 1 to 8 with an average of 6.33±0.84.Nematode length varies from 7-22 mm with in average of(18.70±4.57)mm.The average length and weight of E.malabaricus were(332.950±77.792)mm and(513.30±169.46)g respectively.Conclusions:It can be assumed that females of this nematode are unable to attain gravidity in this host species,and consequently,E.malabaricus does not serve as the true definitive host of Philometra spp.Prevalence of infection and intensity of the nematode are highly effected by sucking blood,causing atrophy of developing ova in the ovary,fibrosis of ovarian tissue,increasing granulocytes and haemorrhages,and thus negatively affecting the reproduction of some species of E.malabaricus.