First record of cyst in Epinephalus diacanthus (Spinycheek grouper) from Mumbai waters ,Central Eastern Arabain Sea

Abstract

The fish samples of Epinephalus diacanthus altogether 262  are collected from Newferrywharf in Maharashtra, Veraval in Gujarat and Cochin in Kerala along the Indian West coast from October to December 2019. The fish infected with cyst displayed no clinical anomalies and seemed to be totally normal  from outside but when it was filleted cyst was present inside it on lateral muscles near spinal vertebrate.Some fishes from Mumbai are having cyst in their body and the fishes from Veraval and Cochin are not having cyst in their body. Whereas cyst contamination not chiefly pathogenic to the host, the parasite can decrease marketability of the host  due to its inky stain in  flesh.As the groupers are most commercially  valuable food fish ,the presence of cyst   would reduce the marketability of fish.