COMPARATIVE STUDY OF BACTERIAL ISOLATES ASSOCIATED WITH THE SKIN OF CLARIAS GARIEPINUS AND HETEROBRANCHUS BIDORSALIS IN KAINJI LAKE AREA
IN KAINJI LAKE AREA
Kolndadacha, O.D1. Adikwu, A. I.2, Okaeme A.N.1,Orgem, C.M.3, Atiribom, R.Y1. and Mshelia M.B1.
1National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research (NIFFR), New Bussa, Niger State, Nigeria.
2Department of Biological Science, Benue State University, Benue State, Nigeria.
3Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria.
E-mail: kolnda@yahoo.com Abstract: One hundred and twenty (120) apparently healthy Heterobranchus bidorsalis and Clarias anguillaris from National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research (NIFFR) as cultured and Monai and Wara villages as wild environment were obtained for the studies. The total bacterial load varied from 2.2×105 to 1.08×108 and 2.27×105 to 6.3×108 CFU/g of the skin of C. anguillaris and H. bidorsalis in the culture respectively, while the load varied from 1.77 x 105 to 1.17×108 and 2.27 x 105 to 9.0×107 CFU/g in the wild respectively. Eleven bacterial genera/species were identified which include: Bacillus species, B. firmus, Pseudomonas species, P. aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella aerogenes, K. ozaenae, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus species, S. faecalis, and Aeromonas species. The aims of this investigation is to compare the type and the load of bacteria isolates on the skin of catfish in