Authors
M Yassa1; A Tripathi1; 1 Rajiv Gandhi University, Itanagar, India Discussion
This study has been carried out over a period of four years (March 2011 - March 2015) in state of Arunachal Pradesh to chart the biodiversity of parasitic monogenoids (Platyhelminthes) on freshwater fishes, and investigating the relationship between parasite diversity and ecological features of host fish. For this purpose, 94 species of fish samples representing 50 genera, 19 families, and 8 orders were collected from various rivers/stream for examination of the presence of monogenoids. A limited number of fish specimens were purchased from open fish markets. The results revealed that out of 94 fish species examined, 56 were infected with 101 species of parasitic monogenoids. This study distinctly establishes that monogenoids are endemic in freshwaters fishes of Arunachal Pradesh. Although, epidemiological studies were not conducted, the high prevalence and species diversity of monogenoids suggests that these parasites are an important fish health problem.