SKIN AND GUT MICROBIOTA OF THE AFRICAN SNAKEHEAD, PARACHANNA OBSCURA, GUNTHER, 1861 FROM RIVER OGUN, SOUTHWEST NIGERIA.

Abstract

Baseline information on the microbiota associated with the skin and gut of potential aquaculture fish candidates is needed to ensure predictive health management under culture. Therefore, the microbial investigation of eighty-eight live specimens of Parachanna obscura caught with Malian traps was done. The skin bacteria species differed from that of the gut. Organisms predominantly present on the skin were E. coli, Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Micrococcus sp., Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus sp., Enterobacter aerogenes, Bacillus sp., Aeromonas hydrophylia, Enterobacter sp., and Proteus sp. Major gut bacteria were Bacillus licheriforms, Flavobacterium sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella sp., Bacillus megaterium, Aeromonas hydrophilia, Pseudomonas sp., Enterobacter aerogenes, Aeromonas sp., and Bacillus sp. Total Bacterial Count (TBC) and Total Coliform Count (TCC) were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the gut of the young fish than the adult but the Total Escherichia Coli Count (TEC)  was significantly higher (P<0.05) in the adult fish. Bacterial load on the skin of the young P. obscura was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of the adult fish. The TBC, TCC and TEC obtained for wet season water were: TBC 5.921.03 x 10⁵ cfu/ml, TCC 5.80.36 x 10³ cfu/ml, TEC 4.050.35x10²cfu/ml while for dry season; TBC 1.440.02x10⁵ cfu/ml, TCC 6.120.32 x 10³ cfu/ml, 2.050.36 x 10² cfu/ml. Aspergillus sp., Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium spp. were the fungi isolated from the water, skin and gut of P. obscura. Antibiotics sensitivity test revealed that most of the bacteria were resistant to Tetracycline but susceptible to Ciprofloxacin and Augmentin.