Trichodiniasis in Nile tilapia hatcheries: Diagnosis, parasite:host-stage relationship and treatment

Trichodiniasis is one of the major diseases that occurs in aquaculture. It affects the production of several fish species throughout the world and has deleterious effects on cichlid (e.g., tilapia) production in particular. There are some available studies on the parasite:host relationship in nature. However, little is known about the effects of this disease in the farming environment. Herein, the diagnosis of exotic specimens, the relationship of parasitism with fish life stages in captivity (three fish farms) and treatment protocols are discussed.