Abstract

Tilapia species play an important role in the fish farming sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. This region is increasingly characterized by climatic and ecological changes influencing the population dynamics of Tilapia. The objective of this study is to establish the effect of biotic factors (size and sex) on the parasitism of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus Linnaeus, 1758) reared in an extensive breeding system in ISET-Rosso Mauritania lakes. All organs of the collected fish were examined. Examination of 556 males and 444 females of sampled fish made it possible to count 251 of Lernaea cyprinacea Linnaeus, 1758 and obtain the following parasite indices: 14.1%; 1.7 and 0.2 respectively for Prevalence, Intensity and Abundance. ANOVA shows that sex and height have no significant effect (p>0.05) on parasite load. This will push us to study other factors such as the effect of the season on parasitism. Ultimately, parasitic indices can alert fish farmers to the health risks that hover over their production. With this in mind, it will be possible to use antiparasitic to reduce prevalence and improve zoo technical performance.

Keywords: Fish farming; Tilapia; Parasitology; Copepods; Pest control; Rosso