A Pre-impoundment Survey of the Helminth and Copepod Parasites of Micropterus spp. of Beaver Reservoir in Northwest Arkansas

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Abstract
A total of 489 bass were examined and 21 species of parasites recovered: 9 species of trematodes representing 6 families; 1 cestode; 2 acanthocephalans representing 2 families; 4 nematodes representing 3 families; 2 leeches representing 1 family; and 3 copepods representing 3 families. From 410 fishes taken from 25 collection sites, 18 species of parasites were recovered, with only one fish uninfected. Seventy-nine Micropterus salmoides (Lacepede) were examined from 3 state fish hatcheries stocking Beaver Reservoir. Of these, the overall infection rate was 95%. Eleven species of parasites were recovered from the hatchery fish, 3 of which were not present in the pre-impoundment collections. Twenty-one selected surveys were compared with the present study to determine the frequency and geographical distribution of the parasites recovered. A comparison between the 1962 and 1963 collections revealed pronounced fluctuations in the percent of infection of many parasite species. The distribution, prevalancy, host specificity, and control of fish parasites with relationship to the present study are discussed.