Resumen

CENTENO, Luisa; SILVA-ACUNA, Annie; SILVA-ACUNA, Ramón  y  PEREZ, José Luis. Ectoparasitic fauna associated to Colossoma macropomum and to the hybrid of C. macropomum x Piaractus brachypomus, cultivated in Delta Amacuro State, Venezuela. Bioagro [online]. 2004, vol.16, n.2, pp.121-126. ISSN 1316-3361.

In Venezuela, the increment and expansion of autochthonous fishes farming, have prompted the importance of identifying the parasitic diseases that can affect these species under cultivation conditions. With that purpose, a study was carried out to determine the ectoparasitic fauna infecting the cachama (Colossoma macropomum) and the hybrid cachama x morocoto (C. macropomum x Piaractus brachypomus) under culture. The samplings were carried out in the ponds of Delta Amacuro Experimental Station of the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA), and in private fish farms of the region. Fresh smear of gills and skin coming from 139 cachamas and 128 hybrids were prepared and observed under microscope. Six species of parasites were identified: the monogenea, Anacanthorus spatulatus; the mixosporeans, Myxobolus sp. and Henneguya sp.; the ciliated protozoan, Trichodina sp. and Epistylis sp. and the copepoda, Ergasilus sp., A. spatulatus, Myxobolus sp. and Trichodina sp. were common to both species of fish, being present, in most of the cases, in mixed parasitism. From these parasites, the monogenea Anacanthorus spatulatus occurred with the highest prevalence, while, the cachama was the host showing the highest infection prevalence. The identified parasites apparently neither cause economic impact to the production nor represent any danger for human consumption.

Palabras clave : Ectoparasites; diseases; fish culture.