PARASITES OF FRESHWATER FISHES SOLD AT MIDSAYAP PUBLIC MARKET

JUDY ANN D. JUANEZA

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE COLLEGE OF

ARTS AND SCIENCES, SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN COLLEGE, MIDSAYAP, COTABATO
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE

BACHELOR OF ARTS

(BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE)

OCTOBER 2017
 CHAPTER 1

PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Fish provides more than one billion poor people with most of their daily animal protein.
Fish provides nutrients and micronutrients that are essential to cognitive and physical
development especially in children, and are important part of a healthy diet. However, fish
supplies are failing to meet demand and there are major shortages in some critically poor
countries where they needed most. Today, there is a growing concern that our seemingly never
ending supply of fish is decreasing; this could be due to pollution and to the use of modern
fishing methods. Fishermen now seem to be catching fish faster than they can reproduce.

One of the most important problems faced by world at the present time is food
deficiency. Today the third world is facing protein deficiency as one of the major global
challenges. Most fish in the wild carry some parasites. These are sometimes obvious but more
often are difficult to detect other than by specialist techniques and usually appear to have little
effect on the host fish.However, in times of stress, resistance of fish is often lowered and some
parasites may greatly increase in abundance and affect the health of the fish.

In this situation fish will often lose condition, making them more susceptible to
predation, or may even die from the effects of the parasites. Fish which are injured in some way,
such as after an attack by a predator, may carry a wound which is then infected by a parasite.
Fish which are injured in some way, such as after an attack by a predator, may carry a wound
which is then infected by a parasite. The effects of parasitism in fish vary from mild to severe
depending upon the intensity of worm burden and pathogenicity of the casual agent affecting the
fish. As a result, there is a great threat to the fish industry causing a fall in production and fish
infected by some parasites could be unsuitable for human consumption.
 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

This study is intended to determine the prevalence of common parasites in freshwater fish
sold at Midsayap public market and to correlate the presence of parasites found in different
variety of fishes.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study can help the people to be aware about the parasites present in fresh water
fishes. Its effect to the humans growth and development. The future biological science major
student who wants to conduct the same study about parasites, he/she can make my research as a
guide in making his/her own thesis about parasites.

SCOPE OF LIMITATION

This study determines the prevalence of common parasites in freshwater fishes sold at
Midsayap public market fish stalls only.