Ectoparasite Infestation on Cultured Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus) in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality, Ghana: A Case Study of Bonia

This study assessed the prevalence and intensity of ectoparasites on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) cultured in earthen ponds from fish farms in Bonia, a community in the Kassena-Nank- ana Municipality of the Upper East Region of Ghana. Ninety O. niloticus samples were collected from two farms and directly transported to the laboratory for examination. All ecological data were recorded. The results showed that overall infestations were 47.8%, as 48.8% in farm 1 and 51.2% in farm 2. These were Ichtyophthirius multifilus, Trichodina sp., Chilodonella sp. Epistylis sp., Tetrahymena sp., Dactylogyrus sp., and Gyrodactylus sp. on the skin, gill, and fin tissues. Trichodina sp. and I. multifilus were reported on all fish tissues in both farms. Trichodina sp. showed a high rate (21.3%) in F2, and I. multifilus showed a rate (12.8%) in F1. Trichodina sp. recorded an overall mean intensity (MI) of 1.21, (1.05) in F1 and (1.36) in F2. All the physicochemical factors were within optimal range for the O. niloticus culture and growth, except for DO.