The incidence of acanthocephala in the intestines of Tilapia spp from Palakpakin Lake, San Pablo City

Intestines of 200 Tilapia sp. caught in Palakpakin Lake were examined for the presence of acanthocephala during the months of July to September, 1996. The intestines were cut into shorter segments and flushed with normal saline to remove the parasites. The collected parasites were preserved in 10% formalin, dehydrated with different concentrations of ethyl alcohol and stained with Borax Carmine. Following Yamaguti\u27s keys to Acanthocephala, eight (8) species of spiny-headed worms were isolated and classified under subfamily Neoechinorhynchinae. The probosces of the specimen collected were retracted, hence, cannot be classified up to the genus level