A survey of coccidian infection (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidaea) of freshwater fish in South Africa

Molnár, Kálmán and Avenant-Oldewage, Annemarie and Székely, Csaba (2005) A survey of coccidian infection (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidaea) of freshwater fish in South Africa. In: 33rd Annual Congress of the Parasitological Society of Southern Africa (PARSA), 2004. szeptember 12-15., Manyane, Pilansberg National Park.

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Abstract

Fish coccidia, especially Goussia and Eimeria spp., are common and frequent parasites of fish. The majority of the known species has been described from the Eurasian continent. Little is known, however, of the coccidian infections of South African freshwater fish. In September 2003, 77 specimens from 7 freshwater fish species were harvested at 4 sites from rivers and ponds in the Gauteng, North West and Limpopo provinces in South Africa. The fish were surveyed for coccidian infections. Two fish species were infected with apicomplexans belonging to Goussia. In banded tilapia (Tilapia sparrmanii Smith) unsporulated oocysts of Goussia vanasi Landsberg and Paperna, 1987 were found. These sporulated in tap water within 24 hours. Another species in the gut of the chubbyhead barb (Barbus anoplusWeber) harboured sporulated oocysts in the faeces and in the intestinal epithelium. The latter species has been described as Goussia anopli. This short survey suggests that more thorough studies might reveal the occurrence of further coccidian species in South African fishes.

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