ABSTRACT

 A total of 52 Clarias gariepinus and 56 O. niloticus were sampled from fish landings in Ekenobizi area and were examined for ecto and endoparasites of fish. Generally, all the parasites encountered in this study belong to six classes which are trematoda, nematodes, cestoda, Argullus and Hirudinea. Fish with standard length ranging from 5.5 - 5.4cm had the highest prevalence rate. Trematoda had (6.67%), nematodes (33.33%), cestodes (29.33%), Argulus (8%) and le&ch (10.67%) for O. niloticus. For Clarias gariepinus, the prevalence infection % were Trematoda (15.38%), Nematoda (41.54%), Cestoda (35.38%) Argulus (3.08%), leach (4.62%). Nematoda (Camallanus spp) recorded the highest infection rate in C. gariepinus while Protocephaled spp had the highest infection rate in O. niloticus. Diplostomium tragenna were present in 0. niloticus but completely absent in C. gariepinus. Similarly (5.38%) of Sphaerostoma bramae was found in C. gariepinus but completely absent in O. niloticus. There was significant variation between the two sexes (male and female) in the gut of 0. niloticus and C. gariepinus. The examined fish population showed that female were more infected than male with prevalence rate of (83. 93%) for 0. niloticus (female) and C. gariepinus female (72.6%) while O. niloticus male had (50.01%) and C. gariepinus male had (54.91%). For physicochemical parameters of water, the highest temperature was recorded in earlier April (31.4·C) while the lowest temperature was in late September (15.09C). Meanwhile the water temperature range from 15.09C with the standardized water temperature which means that the place is suitable for the growth of fish and reproduction of parasites. Parasite infection increased when the water is warm. Dissolved oxygen (Oa) value of the river was fluctuating during the study period. The range was (2 - 3mg/L to 7.0mg/L). Transparency was high in April because the accumulated particles that would have increased parasitic infection were washed off by rainfall, therefore it made the rate of infection to reduce. It is advised that fish should be properly cooked before consumption in order to get rid of the parasites. This will reduce the rate of infection on humans.