Protistology 7 (2) 79–89 (2012) |
Biodiversity of myxozoan parasites infecting freshwater fishes of three main wetlands of Punjab, India |
Department of Zoology and Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala, India Summary
Material pertaining to the present investigation was collected from three main
wetlands of Punjab (included in Ramsar list of International importance), i.e. Harike,
Kanjali and Ropar wetlands. Extensive collection tours were made to these wetlands
during the period from May, 2006 to April, 2010. A large number of important
commercial fishes of these wetlands are vulnerable to various infections, out of
which myxozoans are emerging as the major group. Various organs such as gills, fins,
scales, skin, eye, stomach, intestine etc. were found to be infected with plasmodia
of as many as 45 species of myxozoans representing 4 genera, namely, Myxobolus
(26 species), Thelohanellus (16 species), Neothelohanellus (1 species) and Triangula
(2 species) were recorded. Two species belonging to the genus Myxobolus, i.e. M.
moli Fomena and co-authors (1985) and M. stomum Ali and co-authors (2003)
were recorded from gills and scales of Amblypharyngodon mola and Labeo rohita
respectively for the first time in India.
Key words: freshwater fishes, Myxozoa, Plasmodium, wetlands of Punjab
Address for correspondence: Ranjeet Singh, Harpreet Kaur. Department of Zoology and Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala-147002, India; e-mail: ranjitsrana@gmail.com, harpreet_bimbra@yahoo.com |
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