Abstract:
Guppies (Poecilia reticulata) from natural populations are prone to
infections from several species that potentially have a profound impact
on their life history evolution. Ornamental fishes are very important
source for the transmission of parasites to new sites and to different
countries along the transcontinental movements of fish hosts.
Poecilia reticulata is a common ornamental fish representing
tropical guppy all over the world. This serves as a host for a wide
variety of parasites ranging from protozoans to metazoans. Gyrodactylus
turnbulli and Gyrodactylus bullatarudis found to infect Poecila reticulata.
G. turnbulli is reportedly a specialist which is found caudally on the host
whereas G. bullatarudis is considered a generalist occurs more rostrally
on the host.
Gyrodactylus sp causes mass mortalities to the ornamental fishing
industry therefore the identification of the parasite is important. The
identification of species lies mainly on the opisthaptoral armature
specially the hamuli, marginals in association with the penis. Earlier
the cirrus pouch was used for to discriminate the different species of
Gyrodactylus. Flat preparations of the worms were made and fixed with Malamberg’s fixative and the measurement of hamuli and marginals
were made under the light microscope. The measurements made were
subjected to image analysis software. The immunopholerescent staining
techinique with pholoiden used for study the different structures at
different depth with the help of a confocal microscopy were used in
the present study. The opisthaptor muscular arrangements with the
distribution of flame cells together with the detailed structure of the
pharynx have been carried out. The opisthaptor showed a ring like
muscular arrangement and the muscular path is more intense as two
bundles towards the median hamuli.
The musculature enhances firm attachment with the help of
marginals and median hamuli, affecting the osmoregultion and causing
the death of the fish host.
