PREVALENCE OF ECHINORHYNCHUS VELI (ACANTHOCEPHALA) INFECTION IN RELATION TO THE SEX OF THE HOST SYNAPTURA ORIENTALIS
S.H. SHEEMA *
RESEARCH DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY MARIVANIOS COLLEGE, NALANCHIRA, THIRUVANANATHAPURAM-695 O15, INDIA
M.V. JOHN *
RESEARCH DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY MARIVANIOS COLLEGE, NALANCHIRA, THIRUVANANATHAPURAM-695 O15, INDIA
P. V. GEORGE *
RESEARCH DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY MARIVANIOS COLLEGE, NALANCHIRA, THIRUVANANATHAPURAM-695 O15, INDIA
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The population dynamics of acanthocephalan parasite, Echinorhynchus veli, infecting the host fish Synaptura orientalis have been studied over a period of two years from 2011 to 2013 through regular sampling of fish from Veli on the south-west coast of Kerala. In Kerala, the Winter season includes the months of January and February, followed by Summer months of March, April and May. The rest of the year is the rainy season, which is divided into the South West Monsoon (June, July, August and September) and the North East Monsoon (October, November and December). In male and female the prevalence of infection was high during the Summer season in the two annual cycles and low in winter and NE monsoon, respectively.
Keywords: Prevalence, Echinorhynchus veli, Synaptura Orientalis, Kerala