Infection status with plerocercoid of ligulid tapeworm in cyprinid fish from three lakes in Republic of Korea

Abstract

SummaryWe have investigated freshwater cyprinid fish for its current infection status with plerocercoid of ligulid tapeworm in the Republic of Korea. A total of 6,049 (517 Euiam Lake and 4,071 Hoengseong Lake in Gangweon-do and 1,461 Chungju Lake in Chungcheongbuk-do) fish were examined by dissecting the peritonial cavity between March 2015 and December 2016. Totally 45 (0.74 %) fish in of 5 (26.3 %) species (8 Squalidus japonicus coreanus, 6 Squalidus gracilis majimae, 7 Opsariichthys uncirostris amurensis, 15 Zacco platypus and 9 Erythroculter erythropterus) were infected with plerocercoids of ligulid tapeworm. The infection density with plerocercoids in Erythroculter erythropterus was 12 – 26 per fish infected in Erythroculter erythropterus, and 1 – 2 in other 4 fish species. The plerocercoid was ivory-white and 26.2 – 57.8 cm long. The prevalence value in this survey was 0.9 % (45/6,049). The genetic analysis in this study was conducted to identify plerocercoid species. Based on genetic analysis with data in GenBank, these plerocercoids were identified as the L. intestinalis.

Parasitic Diseases of Fish

“…Larval forms of plerocercoids and cysticercoids cause damages in freshwater fishes. In African fish, predominant infection is due to ligula plerocercoids in the body cavity of Barbus, Cyprinid species and Cyclophyllidean cysticercoids infect the mesenteries of siluriform, Clarias and Bagrus species (Song 2018). They have piscivorous birds such as gulls and cormorants as their definitive hosts.…”