Identification of a cestode from Channa micropeltes (Cuvier, 1831) and its potential as bioindicator for aquatic heavy metal pollution

Abstract

At present, parasites are attracting increasing interest from parasite ecologists as potential indicators of environmental quality because of the variety of ways in which they respond to anthropogenic pollution. However, until recently, little was known about the accumulation of toxins within parasites. Certain parasites, particularly intestinal acanthocephalans and cestodes of fish, can accumulate heavy metals at concentrations that are orders of magnitude higher than those in the host tissues or the environment. Furthermore, a little of helminth parasites have so far been recorded in Malayan freshwater fishes. In a study by Fernando and Furtado (1964), they found one species in Channa striatus and two species in Channa micropeltes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the species of cestodes from Channa micropeltes (Cuvier, 1831) and to evaluate the metal accumulation ability of the cestodes compared to their host as a possible sentinel in monitoring increasing heavy metal pollution in lacustrine environment.