Prevalence and intensity of ectoparasites in gabus fish (Channa striata) at Cangkringan Fishery Cultivation Technology Development Center, Sleman, Yogyakarta

Abstract

Diseases caused by parasitic groups get less serious attention from farmers because its chronic morbidity and mortality rates are small. However, if observed further, parasitic diseases may trigger secondary infection that can be a predisposing factor for infection by more dangerous pathogenic organisms such as bacteria, viruses and fungi. This study aims to obtain data on the types of ectoparasites and the prevalence (P) and intensity (I) of the ectoparasites in gabus fish (Channa striata). The ectoparasite samples were taken from the natural gabus fish; 39 fish were cultured by scraping method. The preparations (results of scraping/gills) were placed on glass objects and dripped with distilled water using a dropper pipette. The preparations were closed using a cover glass and then observed under a binocular microscope with 100x and 400x magnification. The results of the observation found there to be 4 types of ectoparasites, namely Dactylogyrus sp. (P = 94%, I = 6.64 individual per fish), Trichodina sp. (P = 64%, I = 6.64 individual per fish), Gyrodactylus sp (P = 89%, I = 2 individual per fish) and Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (P = 30%, I = 1.41 individual per fish). The prevalence value is more influenced by the abiotic factor in the form of temperature, as this inhibits the development of the infective phase of the parasite.