Diversity of gill parasitic copepods and parameters influence on infestation in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) from the Taabo man-made lake (Cote D’ivoire)

Oreochromis niloticus fish has long served as an essential source of animal protein for local populations, contributing not only to food security but also to job creation. However, a decline in its stock has been observed in recent times. Sustainable management of this species is therefore crucial in the face of health threats, including infestations by parasitic copepods which negatively affect the appearance and reduced production of species of economically important fish, both from the wild and fish farms. During May 2023 to April 2024, the gill parasitic copepod fauna of 1180 specimens of O. niloticus were captured in the both Ahondo and Courandjourou stations of Taabo hydroelectric man-made lake was investigated in order to study the diversity of these species and assess the impact of abiotic and biotic factors on the infestation of this fish. Once the fish had been caught, standard methods for the study of gill parasitic copepods were used. Three parasite species were identified: Lamproglena monodi, Lernaea barnimiana and Ergasilus latus. The calculated diversity indices reflect a fairly well-structured parasitic community. The study revealed a significant variation in fish infestation according to sampling stations, seasons and host sex. In addition, it revealed that all fish examined had a condition factor of less than 1 (K˂1). However, there was significant difference between the condition factor of infested and uninfested fish. These informations could be taken into consideration when implementing health management practices in fish culturing programs or to develop control strategies against these pathogens in order to enhance fish production in this environment.