MORPHOMETRIC CHARACTERIZATION OF Gyrodactylus rysavyi (MONOGENEA: GYRODACTYLIDAE) ON AFRICAN CATFISH Clarias gariepinus

Gyrodactylus is a small monogenean ectoparasite that infect most of fish species and it is estimated more than 20.000 species around the world. Gyrodactylus appears to be one of the most prevalent parasites found in freshwater fish cultured. African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) are a popular freshwater fish that are highly contaminated by Gyrodactylus. The present study aimed to identify morphometric characteristic of the Gyrodactylus parasite on African catfish.

The morphometric characterization on Gyrodactylus specimens was performed using the measurements of haptoral hard parts and reported as hamulus total length 95,38 ± 7,08 (75-105) µm, hamulus point length 50,80 ± 6,09 (40-62,5) µm, hamulus shaft length 55,10 ± 6,63 (37-65) µm, hamulus root length 43,50 ± 6,18 (32-55) µm, hamulus aperture distance 30,50 ± 6,52 (24-46) µm, marginal hook total length 30,00 ± 3,10 (26-35) µm, marginal hook sickle length 5,13 ± 1,53 (3,2-7,5) µm, marginal hook shaft length 24,87 ± 2,23 (22,8-29) µm, body length 908,33 ± 210,16 (575-1150) µm, body weight 117,25 ± 19,90 (85-155) µm, opisthaptor length 57,50 ± 8,81 (45-75) µm and opisthaptor weight 121,50 ± 16,58 (97,5-150) µm. Based on morphometric analysis, the Gyrodactylus specimens were described as Gyrodactylus rysavyi.