Cichlids against parasites

Keeping bilharzia in check

Some cichlid species are helping to deal with human parasites.

Trematocranus placodon, along with some other species, eats snails that dwell in shallow waters.

These snails are often infected with bilharzia, a parasite that causes a severe illness when transmitted to humans.

Availability of snails is essential for the parasite, since it spends one part of it life cycle in snails.

The more snail-eating cichlids there are in the lake, the smaller the risk for people to catch bilharzia.