Gill and skin pathology of hybrid grouper (E. fuscoguttatus x E. lanceolatus) infested Zeylanicobdella arugamensis worms in different infestations degree

Zeylanicobdella arugamensis is one of the marine parasites that attacks Hybrid grouper fish (E. fuscoguttatus x E. lanceolatus) rearing. Death of infested fish occurs in a period of 3 days after infestation due to secondary infections caused by pathogenic bacteria such as Vibrio alginolyticus. Severe infestation of Zeylanicobdella arugamensis occurs in Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) and in hybrid groupers the prevalence is 59%. This research used survey method by sampling 50 hybrid groupers. The study aimed to determine the anatomic and histopathological pathology of the gills and skin of the hybrid grouper at different degrees of infestation. The pathology of gill and skin anatomy of the hybrid grouper infested by Zeylanicobdella arugamensis are red, thickening and pale. The highest histopathological damage of the skin at severe infestations of 2.4a 0.87 results in erosion, inflammation, congestion and hemorrhage. The highest histopathological damage to the gills at the degree of severe infestation 2.8a 0.87 had fusion, telangeactasis and hyperplasia. The Kruskal Wallis test showed a significant degree of infestation on the severity of histopathological changes in the gills and skin of the grouper that is 0.00 (p≤0.05).