The Overall Differential Morphometric Parts among Clinostomatids (Clinostomatidae) in the Micro-habitats of Tilapia zillii and other Cichlids

Abstract

Competition among closely related parasites in a concomitant parasitism within micro-habitats in a host fish determines success and adaptability of one over the other. Consequently, competition for better adaptiveness, access to nutrients, and more population size among clinostomatids resulted in pressures on the parasites’ morphometric parts irrespective of the cichlid hosts infected. For instance, T. zillii all the morphometric parts of the clinostomatid parasites; Clinostomum complanatum and Euclinostomum heterostomum (c and b) were significantly different (P˂0.05) with all the morphometric parts of Clinostomum tilapiae (a). However, the result from the overall morphometric information supports genetic success of a closely related species over another as a gradual process in relation to environmental situations.