PARASITIC AND BACTERIAL LOAD ASSOCIATED WITH OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS HARVESTED FROM OYAN DAM UNDER OPEN WATER AND CAGE CULTURE SYSTEMS OF FISH MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Parasites co-habit with water organisms and infect host tissues to derive nutrients from them while an excessive load of bacteria can serve as an indicator of stress, contamination, low health status and an inadequate growth rate. This study, therefore, identified the bacteria and parasites associated with O. niloticus raised under extensive (open water ecosystem) and semi-intensive (cage-culture) systems of management. Six bacteria (Bacteria Spp, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Citrobacter freundii, Flavobacterium columnar, Pseudomonas aurenginosa, Staphylococcus aureus) were isolated in the samples of fish but no detection of S. aureus in the samples from cage cultured fish. Two nematodes (Ascaris and Trichuris ) and Moniliformis dubius (Phyllum Acanthocephala) were identified. Management of water bodies should be more pro-active and proper cooking of fish with inclusion of pepper should be encouraged.