Assessment of the efficacy of Corbicula fluminea in controlling Ichthyophthirius multifiliis infections

Abstract

This study evaluated the filtration efficacy of Corbicula fluminea (Linnaeus, 1758) against the theront stage of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis through integrated in vivo and in vitro approaches. A partitioned aquarium was designed to maintain physical separation between infected fish and naïve fish, enabling systematic investigation of parasite life cycle completion in the presence of C. fluminea. Trophont density quantification through microscopic examination of caudal fin lesions provided direct evidence of biological control effectiveness.