Comparative analysis of parasitic helminth infection patterns in male and female Clarias gariepinus from Asa Dam, Ilorin, North-Central Nigeria

Abstract

One hundred and sixty (160) specimens of catfish Clarias gariepinus were examined for parasites. They comprise
eighty (80) specimens each of males and females. 21(26.25%) males and 21(26.25%) females showed parasitic
infection. A total of eighty six (86) intestinal helminthes belonging to three taxonomic groups were recovered. They
are cestodes - Amonotaenia sp., Polyonchobothrium clarias; nematodes - Paracamallanus sp., Procamallanus
laevionchus and acanthocephala - Neochinorhynchus rutili. Of these, thirty (30) were recovered from males and fiftysix (56) from females. Total prevalence of infection was the same for both sexes, that is, 13.13% but total intensity of
infection was different, 1.43 for males and 2.67 for females. There was no statistically significant difference in the
infection between the two sexes, that is, (p > 0.05).