Parasitic Challenges in Culturable Freshwater Fish: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

This review highlights about Parasitic Challenges in Culturable Freshwater Fish. Fish populations are subject to numerous natural and anthropogenic factors which reduce abundance. In grouper aquaculture, a diverse range of parasitic organisms have been documented to cause substantial issues. Protozoans, particularly ciliates, are the primary source of parasitic illnesses in groupers in the hatchery and nursery phases. Grouper fries are subjected to handling and travel stress when they are transferred to grow-out facilities. Ciliated protozoans, skin, and gill monogeneans and caligid copepods are all common parasites carried by these fish. Protozoans, monogeneans, didymozoid digeneans, nematodes, caligid copepods, isopods and leeches are among the primary parasites of cultivated groupers discussed in this review paper.  The study underscores the need for improved management strategies to mitigate the economic losses caused by parasitic infections, highlighting their role in fish mortality, reduced growth rates, and compromised marketability. Furthermore, it contributes to the broader understanding of fish-borne zoonotic diseases, emphasizing their implications for human health and food safety.