Clinical investigation of the digenean metacercarial infestation in tilapia in the High Dam lake, Egypt

Abstract

Demands for sea food in general are growing due to increase of awareness of Cholesterol and saturated fatty acids levels in food even more, fish may have health promoting compounds. The High Dam lake is the largest inland water body

in Egypt and represents about 60% of the total surface area of • inland waters including the Nile and its tributaries. The High

Dam lake is expected to lead the natural aquatic resources in supplying sea food. Tilapia species are considered an important component in the High Dam lake fisheries. They characterized by easiness in culture, high growth rate, and rapid production. Digenean is a major taxa of parasitic platyhelminthes that

infest all the major '.groups of vertebrates including fish. Digenetic trematodes have a complex life cycle with several successive larval generations. The life cycle involves mollucs as first intermediate host, fish as second intermediate host and birds as final host. Digenea are common infections in wild fish. Metacercarial infestations in fish are more common in yang (fries) than in adults in cultured fish, Except when the other •