The Prevalence and Pathogenicity of the “Anchor Worm” (Lernea spp, Phylum Arthropoda) within the Finfish Inhabiting the Danube Delta Area

• Main Authors: Marius Hangan, Laura Daniela Urdes, Daniela Ianitchi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Agroprint Timisoara 2013-10-01
• Series: Scientific Papers Animal Science and Biotechnologies
• Subjects: freshwater finfish; lernea spp; pathogenicity; prevalence
• Online Access: http://spasb.ro/index.php/spasb/article/view/58

This research was conducted as a series of cross-sectional epidemiological studies. It started in the 2003 and ended in 2008, having as sample sites the Sontea-Fortuna, Gorgova-Uzlina, Dunavat-Dranov and Razim-Sinoie lakes. The aim of the research was to assess the distribution and the pathogenicity of the Lernaea copepod among the inhabiting finfish populations, in various seasons of the time period. Lernaea spp was found in ctenopharyngodon idella, cyprinus carpio, liza aurata and liza haematocheila, only in two out of the four sampled complex of lakes, Razim-Sinoie and Dunavat-Dranov. The highest prevalence of the parasite was recorded in the autumns and at the beginning of the springs. The frequency of the parasitism was highest in the C. idella captured in the Dunavat-Dranov complex lakes (86.29%). The lesions caused by the copepod were mainly localized on the eye balls, the tegmentum and on the fins, where hemorrhagic and proliferative processes, as well as an overall increase in tegmentum mucus secretion, were noticed.