PARASITIC HELMINTHS OF THE FRESHWATER CATFISH (CLARIAS GARIEPINUS) FROM FAYOUM GOVERNORATE, EGYPT

The parasitic diseases are one of the potential factors that restrict the development of fish aquaculture because fish parasites not only can cause injuries, but can even lead to death of the fish. The present study aimed to record/update the prevalence and intensity of parasitic helminths in the freshwater catfish " Clarias gariepinus " in Fyoum Governorate, Egypt. A total of 368 Clarias gariepinus samples were collected from Bahr Youssef (line of the River Nile) from Fayoum Governorate during the period from January 2019 to February 2020, and were examined for the presence of helminth parasites. Out of 368 examined fish, 227 (61.7%) were found to be infected with six species of helminthes (three trematodes, two cestodes, and one nematode): Dactylogyrus claridii , Acanthostomum spiniceps , Orientocreadium batrachoides , Polyonchobothrium clarias, Monobothrium sp., and Paracamallanus cythopharynx with infection rates = 13.0%, 2.2%, 5.4%, 9.2%, 13.3%, and 18.5%, respectively. Regarding to the seasonal variations, the obtained results showed that the highest rate of infection was recorded during the spring (76.9%), followed by the summer (70.0%) and the winter (53.5%), while the autumn represented the lowest rate of infection (52.3%). In addition, this study provides additional morphological characters for the parasite Paracamallanus cyathopharynx based on the scanning electron microscopy.