ORIGINAL RESEARCH

 

Pentastomid parasites in fish in the Olifants and Incomati River systems, South Africa

 

 

Wilmien J. Luus-Powell^I; Antoinette Jooste^I; Kerstin Junker^II

^IDepartment of Biodiversity, University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus), Private Bag X1106, Sovenga, 0727 South Africa
^IIDepartment of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110 South Africa

 

 

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ABSTRACT

During parasitological field surveys of freshwater fish, sebekiid and subtriquetrid pentastome larvae were recovered from the body cavity or swim bladder of several fish species from various localities in Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces, South Africa. Sebekia wedliwas recovered from the body cavity of Marcusenius macrolepidotus (Mormyridae) from Flag Boshielo Dam, Limpopo Province, and Alofia sp. and Subtriquetra rileyi were found in the swim bladder of Oreochromis mossambicus (Cichlidae) from the Phalaborwa Barrage, Limpopo Province. The latter species was also collected from the swim bladder of O. mossambicus in dams in the Phalaborwa region and the Ga-Selati River, Limpopo Province. A single specimen of Sebekia okavangoensis was present in the body cavity of Clarias gariepinus (Clariidae) in a dam on a sugarcane farm in the Komatipoort region, Mpumalanga Province. Pentastomid infections in the Mormyridae and Clariidae represent new host records.

Keywords: Alofia sp., Clarias gariepinus, Marcusenius macrolepidotus, Oreochromis mossambicus, Pentastomida, Sebekia okavangoensis, Sebekia wedli, South Africa, Subtriquetra rileyi

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Accepted for publication 22 August 2008-Editor

 

 

* Author to whom correspondence is to be directed. E-mail: powellw@ul.ac.za