The Infection Rate of Centrocestus caninus (Leiper, 1913) in Swamp Barb, Puntius brevis (Bleeker, 1860) from Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai

Abstract

The infection rate of Centrocestus in Swamp Barb, Puntius brevis (Bleeker, 1860) was examined in the Mae Taeng district, Chiang Mai province, during October 2007 to September 2008. Forty-seven fish were collected and then the fish specimens are digested with 1% acid-pepsin solution. Subsequently, the digested material was rinsed through the grading sieves mesh and examined for metacercaria using stereo microscope. The results were found that total number of C.caninus metacercariae (2,262) in 45 infected fish. The total intensity was 48.13 (2,262/47) per a fish and total prevalence of C.caninus metacercaria was 95.74% (45/47). In addition, Haplorchoides sp. Metacercaria was also found in sympatric species along with C.caninus population. The total numbers of 245 Haplorchoides sp. Metacercariae were found. The total intensity was 5.21 (245/47) per a fish and total prevalence of Haplorchoides sp. metacercaria was 68.09% (32/47). From the high intensity and prevalence of C.caninus was the dominant trematode infecting in P.brevis from Mae Taeng district, Chiang Mai province. It was shown that Swam Barb, Puntius brevis is the highly compatibly host of C.caninus to be the secondary intermediate host.