Vol. 11, Special Issue 9 (2022)

Author(s):
LV Naga Mahesh, P Haribabu, G Ganesh, Mohana Swapna, Neeraja Tambireddy, Arun Konduri and Gora Shiva Prasad

Abstract:
The present study was conducted to study the vertical pattern and strategies in egg laying by fresh water fish louse Argulus siamensis as it is the most common Argulus spp and devasting fish parasite affecting fresh water fish culture in India. This study revealed that a greater number of egg clutches were found in the middle zone (107.15 ± 57.27) which is the habitat zone of common host fish rohu, next greater number of egg clutches were found in upper zone (78.43 ± 43.77) followed by bottom zone(47.18 ± 25.13). At the same time Argulus siamensis. used different substrates for egg laying non-living objects such as inlet pipes, feeding poles, chemical bottles, slippers. etc., similarly egg clutches were found on living organisms like aquatic weeds and snails indicating opportunistic egg laying behaviour, and it will help to control the population of Argulus siamensis by regularly removing eggs by using substrates.