A total of 40,000 acres of water resources, including lakes, streams, rivers, sars, springs, etc., are available in Jammu and Kashmir, making them ideal for fish farming. Aquaculture is one of the most economically significant applied strategies and one of the healthiest and most nutritious resources for people. These resources are experiencing a number of difficulties because of improper management and utilisation policy. One of the biggest obstacles to aquaculture is disease, which could eventually limit the commercial success of fish producers. The present study was carried out to evaluate the prevalence of endoparasitic helminths in Schizothorax niger and Cyprinus carpio during different seasons. The isolated parasites comprised Pomphorhynchus kashmirensis, Bothriocephalus acheilognathi, Adenoscolex oreini and Neoechinorhycus manasbalensis. According to the results of the current investigation, parasite occurrences are higher in the Schizothorax species than in the Carp species. A gradual increase in the prevalence rate coincided with a rise in temperature. Additionally, it was discovered that males had more parasite infestation than females. The red blood cell count, packed cell volume, and haemoglobin concentration of the infected fish all indicated a decline. However, infected fish displayed higher white blood cell levels when compared to uninfected fish.

Helminth, Shizothorax, Cyprinus, Kashmir, Temperature

Fish health and output management are becoming more difficult as a result of severe parasitic infections. Infections with fish parasites are a serious problem because they typically lead to immune system degradation, which makes hosts more susceptible to subsequent infection by pathogens. In the current investigation, Anchar was shown to have a higher prevalence of parasites. Fish species, the time of year, gender, and water body all have a significant impact on hehminth infection patterns. Additionally, males had a higher prevalence of helminths than females did.

Imtiyaz Qayoom, Feroz A. Shah, Adnan Abubakr, Inain Jaies, Shabana Arjamand, Baba Tabasum, Shabir A. Dar, Sameena Khan and Bilal A. Bhat (2022). Helminth Infestations in Cold Water Fishes of Kashmir Himalayas. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 14(4a): 203-210.