title: Assessment of Clarias gariepinus as a biological control agent against mosquito larvae.
abstract: The emergence and spread of insecticide resistant mosquitoes renewed interest in investigating the use of larvivorous fish as a biological control agent. The potential of Clarias gariepinus fish in controlling Anopheles arabiensis and culicine larvae was assessed under laboratory and semi-field conditions.
  
  
  
  Small size (15-20 cm) C. gariepinus fish consumed greater number of mosquito larvae than the large size fish (25-40 cm) in the multivariate regression model (β = 13.36, 95 % CI = 4.57, 22.15). The Anopheles larvae consumed was greater in number than the culicines larvae consumed by the fish (β = 12.10, 95 % CI = 3.31, 20.89). The number of larvae consumed was greater during the night hours than during the light hours (β = 30.06, 95 % CI = 21.27, 38.85). Amount of supplementary fish food did not cause significant differences in the number of mosquito larvae consumed by the fish among different groups. C. gariepinus was observed to feed on mosquito larvae under laboratory and semi-field conditions.
  
  
  
  C. gariepinus fed on the larvae of An. arabiensis and culicines readily. Hence, it can be used as an alternative mosquito control agent in Ethiopia where the breeding habitats are small and localized.
authors.affiliation: Arba Minch University, P. O. Box 21, Arba Minch, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Buze
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chala
authors.affiliation: Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. berhanue@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Berhanu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Erko
authors.affiliation: Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Abebe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Animut
authors.affiliation: Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.|Department of Epidemiology, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Degarege
authors.affiliation: Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology Department, College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Beyene
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Petros
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000254:growth & development*; D061046:Biological Control Agents; D002397:Catfishes / Q000502:physiology*; D003465:Culex / Q000254:growth & development*; D017753:Ecosystem; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development*; D009032:Mosquito Control / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D061046:Biological Control Agents
keywords: Anopheles arabiensis; Biological control; Clarias gariepinus; Culex; Ethiopia; Larvae