Diplostomum species metacercariae are trematode parasites that pose serious economic threats to aquaculture practice globally. Identification of Diplostomum at metacercariae stage has remained equivocal, hence lack of...Diplostomum species metacercariae are trematode parasites that pose serious economic threats to aquaculture practice globally. Identification of Diplostomum at metacercariae stage has remained equivocal, hence lack of elucidation of the actual role of these species in fish population. 21 Diplostomoid metacercariae obtained from eyes of Nile tilapia were characterized using 18S and ITS rDNA (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) genes. Phylogenetic analyses of ITS rDNA gene dataset in the metacercariae revealed close relationship to Diplostomum mashonense and D. baeri. Molecular identification using 18S rDNA sequences revealed close relationship to D. compactum, D. phoxini and D. spathaceum. Overall, genetic analyses in this study depicted a significant unrecognized genetic diversity among Diplostomum species. Successful differentiation of Diplostomum genera in this study using ribosomal markers suggested that 18S and ITS rDNA genes are effective genetic markers for inter-species phylogenetic analysis and should be employed in future for identification of diplostomoidea.展开更多
Lake Victoria the second largest fresh water body in the world located in East Africa is a shared resource between Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and enjoys a wide range of streams and rivers from as far as Burundi and Rw...Lake Victoria the second largest fresh water body in the world located in East Africa is a shared resource between Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and enjoys a wide range of streams and rivers from as far as Burundi and Rwanda. The lake has environmentally undergone physical, chemical and biological changes in the last four decades, particularly rise in its trophic condition and decline in oxygen level, which affects the water quality and fish population dynamics. This study therefore set out to determine the quality of water in selected fishing beaches of Lake Victoria, Kenya with a view to report the possible pollution levels. pH was highest at Nyamasari and Kotieno (9.3 ± 0.1) and lowest at Nyachebe and Kichinjio (7.08 ± 0.1) whereas temperature was highest at Nyamasari (29.5°C ± 0.0°C) and lowest at Kichinjio (23.4°C ± 0.2°C). DO was highest at Kotieno (10.3 ± 0.2 mgL) and lowest at Seka (2.4 ± 0.1 mgL). Turbidity was highest at Uyoga (125.5 ± 0.90 NTU) and lowest at Osieko (2.7 ± 0.1 NTU). Ammoniacal nitrogen was highest at Dunga (1278.3 ± 0.8 μ∙gl-1) and lowest at Nyamasari (12.4 ± 0.8), all a factor of human activities, lake substratum and effluents from rivers and surface runoff. All parameters assessed showed significant differences across sampling sites and depth except pH which did not vary significantly with distance from lakeshore. Further, all parameters did not show a clear pattern with respect to distance from the lakeshore possibly due to adequate mixing in the gulf. There is a need for further water quality monitoring by seasons to inform policy decisions towards sustainable lake exploitation.展开更多
文摘Diplostomum species metacercariae are trematode parasites that pose serious economic threats to aquaculture practice globally. Identification of Diplostomum at metacercariae stage has remained equivocal, hence lack of elucidation of the actual role of these species in fish population. 21 Diplostomoid metacercariae obtained from eyes of Nile tilapia were characterized using 18S and ITS rDNA (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) genes. Phylogenetic analyses of ITS rDNA gene dataset in the metacercariae revealed close relationship to Diplostomum mashonense and D. baeri. Molecular identification using 18S rDNA sequences revealed close relationship to D. compactum, D. phoxini and D. spathaceum. Overall, genetic analyses in this study depicted a significant unrecognized genetic diversity among Diplostomum species. Successful differentiation of Diplostomum genera in this study using ribosomal markers suggested that 18S and ITS rDNA genes are effective genetic markers for inter-species phylogenetic analysis and should be employed in future for identification of diplostomoidea.
文摘Lake Victoria the second largest fresh water body in the world located in East Africa is a shared resource between Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and enjoys a wide range of streams and rivers from as far as Burundi and Rwanda. The lake has environmentally undergone physical, chemical and biological changes in the last four decades, particularly rise in its trophic condition and decline in oxygen level, which affects the water quality and fish population dynamics. This study therefore set out to determine the quality of water in selected fishing beaches of Lake Victoria, Kenya with a view to report the possible pollution levels. pH was highest at Nyamasari and Kotieno (9.3 ± 0.1) and lowest at Nyachebe and Kichinjio (7.08 ± 0.1) whereas temperature was highest at Nyamasari (29.5°C ± 0.0°C) and lowest at Kichinjio (23.4°C ± 0.2°C). DO was highest at Kotieno (10.3 ± 0.2 mgL) and lowest at Seka (2.4 ± 0.1 mgL). Turbidity was highest at Uyoga (125.5 ± 0.90 NTU) and lowest at Osieko (2.7 ± 0.1 NTU). Ammoniacal nitrogen was highest at Dunga (1278.3 ± 0.8 μ∙gl-1) and lowest at Nyamasari (12.4 ± 0.8), all a factor of human activities, lake substratum and effluents from rivers and surface runoff. All parameters assessed showed significant differences across sampling sites and depth except pH which did not vary significantly with distance from lakeshore. Further, all parameters did not show a clear pattern with respect to distance from the lakeshore possibly due to adequate mixing in the gulf. There is a need for further water quality monitoring by seasons to inform policy decisions towards sustainable lake exploitation.
