Investigation of parasites and ecto-symbiont in wild mud crab, genus Scylla from Terengganu Coastal water, Malaysia: Prevalence and mean intensity

Abstract

Seventy three sample of wild mud crab genus Scylla were collected from setiu wetland, Terengganu coastal waters, Malaysia with the measured of Carapace Width (CW) and Body Weight (BW) 8.9±0.1 and 103.9±3.8, respectively. The percentage prevalence of parasites from these studies is 81.9% and the mean intensity was 13. The total number of 887 parasites that were collected includes barnacle (Octolasmis spp.), ciliates, sessile protozoan (Epistylis sp.), nematode and copepod. The higher number of parasites that were found is barnacle with prevalence of 71.1% and mean intensity 14.4 followed by ciliates, nematode, copepod and sessile protozoan with prevalence of 18.1, 8.4, 2.4 and 1.2% and mean intensity 1.1, 2.1, 2.0, 1.0, respectively. Results show that pedunculate barnacle genus Octolasmis show the most abundance species of parasites, compared to others.