K. Baidoo¹ , S.M. AbobiBaidoo¹ , E. Agbeko²

1. Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management, University for Development Studies, P.O. Box 1882 Tamale, Ghana
2. Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Water Research Institute, Fishery Division, P.O. Box TL 695, Tamale, Ghana
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Aquaculture, 2015, Vol. 5, No. 4   doi: 10.5376/ija.2015.05.0004
Received: 12 Feb., 2015    Accepted: 15 Mar., 2015    Published: 30 Apr., 2015

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Baidoo et al., 2015, Ecto-parasites Infestation of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in Concrete Ponds in Tamale, Ghana, International Journal of Aquaculture, Vol.5, No.3 1-5 (doi: 10.5376/ija.2015.05.0004)

The demand of concrete pond culture in the Northern Ghana is increasing. The safety and health of Nile tilapia produced in concrete ponds is of public concern. The study was to investigate the prevalence and mean intensities of ecto-parasites on the gills, skin mucus and the fin of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in some concrete ponds in Tamale, Northern Ghana. Two hundred and forty (240) randomly sampled specimens of comprising fingerlings, juveniles and adult fish of Nile Tilapia were examined using microscope and hand-held lens from November, 2013 to April, 2014 for ecto-parasites. Thirty five (35) of the specimens examined were infested with ecto-parasites representing 15% prevalence during the study period. The prevalence rate encountered was Ichthyophthirius multifilis (60%) ≥; Trichodina sp (23%) ≥; monogeneans (17%). Out of 155 fingerlings examined, 14.8% were infested while 85 adult fish examined had 14.1% infested with ecto-parasites. The mean intensity of Trichodina spp ranged from 0 to 2.5.  Monogeneas and Ichthyophthirius multifilis mean intensity ranged from 0 to 1.7. Physico-chemical characteristics of the pond were suitable for culture. The mean temperature was 28.48 ^oC ± 2.31, the mean value for dissolved oxygen was 4.32 mg/l ± 0.38, the mean pH was 6.17 ± 0.23 and mean nitrate was 30.60 ppm ± 1.0286. The low prevalence and intensities of ecto-parasites recorded indicates that with good water quality, ecto-parasites may not pose a threat to O. niloticus production in concrete pond.

Oreochromis niloticus ; Intensity; Prevalence; Tamale