Study of Different Ectoparasites from Labeo Rohita Collected from the Local Markets of Dera Ismail Khan, KPK, Pakistan

Abstract

The research in hand was aimed at studying different ectoparasites from Labeo Rohita collected from local markets of Dera Ismail Khan, KPK, Pakistan. To assess the prevalence of ectoparasites on rohu (Labeo Rohita) fish. 30 freshwater rohu specimens were gathered from various locations in Dera Ismail Khan, KPK, Pakistan, between the months of December 2023 and May 2024. The ectoparasite status of 30 fish species was assessed. 18 fish out of thirty were Lernaea infected. Lernaea had a total prevalence of 26.66 percent. In the group of fish weighing 1000–1200 grams, the prevalence of Lernaea was 37.5%, but in the group weighing 100–300 grams, it was 16.66%. In the fish length group of 66-85 cm, Lernaea was most common (33.33%), whereas in the 25-45 cm group, it was least common (14.28%). In addition, Lernaea varied with the seasons; in January, it was at its highest (33.33%), while in March and April, it was at its lowest (20%) and nonexistent (0%).  The results showed that the prevalence of infection was higher in rohu (Labeo Rohita) fish that were both heavier and longer than in fish that were both lighter and shorter. This may be because parasites have a larger surface area to anchor and hide on larger fish. The study will significantly contribute to the theory and practice both as it has far reached results, though the study was conducted only in one city due to time and financial constraints, however, in the future, researchers could conduct it at large scale from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to get generalizability of the results. Further, it is suggested that it may be replicated in varying environments of other provinces of the country too.