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A study was conducted to compare the effects of two chemical therapeutants on channel catfish (CCF) Ictalurus punctatus concurrently infected with Flavobacterium columnare and Ichthyobodo necator. Copper sulfate (CuSO4) and potassium permanganate (KMnO4) were investigated for their ability to reduce the bacterial load, parasite load, and subsequent mortality. Treatment rates of CuSO4 or KMnO4 were 2.1 mg/L and 3.0 mg/L, respectively, and were applied at 24 h intervals on three consecutive days and control fish were untreated. Fin and gill samples were taken on day 4 (24 h after the final treatment) and day 10 (one week after the final treatment) for quantification of parasite and bacterial load. The survival rate of CuSO4-treated fish (73.0 %) was significantly different from the untreated control fish (41.5%). KMnO4-treated fish was (53.6%) and not significantly different from untreated control or CuSO4-treated fish. I. necator loads were significantly reduced by both CuSO4 and KMnO4, but only CuSO4 sign...

As a synthetic androgen, 17α-methyltestosterone (17MT) is frequently used to redirect the course of sex differentiation by exposing the undifferentiated gonad to a sufficient dosage. This hormone has been widely accepted as a safe and effective treatment for sex reversal in many fish species, and it is administered to larval tilapia (3–12 d old) for ∼28 consecutive days to produce populations of >90% males. This study assessed the safety of 17MT-treated feed when administered to larval Nile Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus at one, three, and five times (i.e., 1×, 3×, and 5×) the proposed dosage of 9 mg 17MT/kg fish daily for 28 consecutive days. Despite elevated total ammonia nitrogen levels measured during the last 5 d of the study, environmental conditions were acceptable for rearing tilapia. Fish fed aggressively regardless of the concentration of 17MT in the feed, behavior was considered normal with no dose-related differences detected, and no mortality was observed in the 3× treatment group. Fi...

Concurrent ectoparasite infections on fishes are commonly encountered in the wild and in aquaculture (Rohde 1984; Hoffman 1999), for example, infections of both Ichthyophthirius multifiliis Fouquet, 1876 (Hymenostomatida: Ichthyopththiriidae; Colorni 2008) and gill‐infecting monogenoids (Platyhelminthes: Monogenoidea; Whittington and Chisholm 2008). The decision to aggressively treat infections of either of these parasites can be prudent in aquaculture systems. Both taxa have direct life cycles and short generation times, which may result in high infection intensities that can debilitate or kill the fish host (Noga 2010). Various chemical therapies have been evaluated to prevent, reduce, or eliminate such infections. Typical treatments for killing monogenoids include: freshwater or saltwater baths, formalin, copper sulfate (CuSO4), hydrogen peroxide, mebendazole, trichlorphon, and praziquantel (Whittington and Chisholm 2008). Treatments for infections of I. multifiliis (Ich) include: temporary exposure to high temperature, formalin, malachite green, CuSO4, potassium permanganate, and sodium chloride (Colorni 2008). Despite the common occurrence of these parasites on fish, little species‐specific information exists for the vast majority of fish–parasite combinations across the diversity of culture systems and captive settings. Formalin is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) for use as a treatment for external monogenetic trematodes in fish at up to 250 mg/L for up to 1 h (US FWS/AFS 2008). The ambiguity of this recommendation suggests a wide therapeutic range with no interpretation of repeated applications. Likewise, little information exists on the safety or efficacy of repeated formalin treatments on fish, and CuSO4 has an indeterminate approval status but is widely accepted as having high efficacy. In October 2009, white bass, Morone chrysops (Rafinesque, 1820; Perciformes: Moronidae), in a flow‐through culture system were diagnosed with concurrent infections of the gill‐infecting monogenoid Onchocleidus mimus (Mueller, 1936; Monogenoidea: Ancyrocephalidae) and Ich. O. mimus has a direct life cycle with no intermediate host required and as the intensity of infection increases can become problematic to a population. This study reports an opportunistic evaluation of the efficacy of repeated applications of formalin and CuSO4 to reduce, control, or eradicate these infections in cultured white bass.

Peracetic acid (PAA) is a relatively new compound suggested for use to treat pathogens in aquaculture. It is approved for use in Europe, but not in the United States. This study determined the effectiveness of PAA for fungus control on channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque), eggs. The study consisted of five PAA concentrations (2.5, 5, 10, 15 and 20 mg L)1) and an untreated control in a flowthrough system. A single spawn was used for each replication (N = 4). Eggs were treated twice daily until the embryos developed eyes. When hatching was complete for all viable eggs, fry were counted to determine the percent survival in each treatment. Fungal growth was severe in the untreated controls resulting in 11% survival. Treatments of 2.5, 5 and 10 mg L)1 PAA were significantly different from the controls (P < 0.05). The highest percent survival of hatched fry was with 5 mg L)1 PAA administered twice daily; the 2.5 mg L)1 PAA treatment had slightly less survival, but gives a higher margin of safety in case of treatment error. Very little fungus was present in treatments receiving 2.5 mg L)1 PAA or higher, and concentrations of 15 and 20 mg L)1 PAA were toxic to the eggs. The mean survivals in the 0, 2.5, 5, 10, 15 and 20 mg L)1 PAA treatments were 11%, 60%, 63%, 62%, 32% and 0%, respectively. Therefore, PAA may be a compound that merits further investigations regarding its use in U.S. aquaculture.

Ichthyobodo necator is a single-celled biflagellate parasite, which in high density can cause significant mortality in young fish. Copper sulphate (CuSO4), potassium permanganate (KMnO4) and peracetic acid (PAA) were evaluated for effectiveness against ichthyobodosis. Treatments were: untreated control, 2.1 mg L−1CuSO4, 3.0 mg L−1 KMnO4, 1.5 mg L−1 PAA and 3.0 mg L−1 PAA, and were applied to flow-through tanks on three consecutive days. The study was designed to simulate the flow-through systems utilized in the commercial rearing of juvenile channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Mortality was monitored daily to compare survival rate among treatments. Parasite intensity was assessed pre chemical exposure and 20–24 h after the third application to determine effectiveness of the treatment. An assessment was also done 7 days post application to investigate possible reoccurrence. Copper sulphate, KMnO4 and PAA (3.0 mg L−1) significantly reduced the infestation rate of I. necator. Copper sulphate significantly improved the survival of I. necator infested channel catfish after three flow-through applications compared with the untreated control. The 3.0 mg L−1 PAA resulted in significantly lower survival than the untreated control, the 1.5 mg L−1 PAA and the KMnO4 were not statistically different from the untreated control.

Copper sulfate (CuSO4) is used in the catfish industry to control saprolegniasis (caused by the watermolds Achlya spp. or Saprolegnia spp.) on eggs. This study was designed to establish the margin of safety of CuSO4 at 10, 30, and 50 mg/L when applied for three times the normal treatment duration to hatching troughs containing channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus eggs in 26°C, flow-through well water. The safety of CuSO4 was indicated by the percentage of fry that hatched from the eggs. Eggs were treated daily until the embryos reached the eyed stage. The least-squares means ± SE of hatch rates were 40.8 ± 9.1, 80.9 ± 6.4, 64.2 ± 8.6, and 80.3 ± 6.6% for the 0-, 10-, 30-, and 50-mg/L CuSO4 treatments, respectively. The hatch rate for the 0-mg/L CuSO4 treatment was significantly different from that of all other CuSO4 treatments. Treating channel catfish eggs with five times the recommended dose of 10-mg/L CuSO4 for three times the recommended duration did not adversely affect the hatch rates in thi...

Aquaflor (florfenicol, 50% type A medicated article) is a relatively new antibiotic used in U.S. aquaculture and has been widely accepted as a safe and effective therapeutant. Some peer-reviewed studies have suggested that 15 mg florfenicol (FFC)·kg−1 body weight (BW)·d−1 for 10 d controls mortality to a greater extent than 10 mg FFC·kg−1 BW·d−1 for 10 d. This study evaluated the safety of Aquaflor to sunshine bass (female white bass Morone chrysops × male striped bass M. saxatilis) when administered in feed at 15 (1× the maximum proposed therapeutic dose), 45 (3×), and 75 (5×) mg FFC·kg−1 BW·d−1 for 20 d (2× the currently approved 10-d treatment duration). The medicated feed was top-coated with Aquaflor and fed at 2% BW·d−1 divided equally between the morning and afternoon feedings. Juvenile sunshine bass (13.6 ± 1.6 g [mean ± SD]) were stocked into 100-L flow-through tanks at 20 fish per tank. Diets were randomly assigned to three replicate tanks per treatment; fish in three additional nonstudy...

Ammonia concentrations in water can affect the severity of Flavobacterium columnare infections in fish. Two trials lasting 7 d each were conducted to determine the effect of a single immersion flush treatment of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN; 15 mg/L) on the survival of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus infected with F. columnare; the chemical was added while the water flowed continuously through the tanks. Both trials consisted of four treatments: (1) no ammonia exposure and no bacterial challenge (control), (2) ammonia exposure only, (3) bacterial challenge only, and (4) both ammonia exposure and bacterial challenge. Two hours after exposure to ammonia, the highest un-ionized ammonia level was 0.43 mg/L. The percent un-ionized ammonia is based on TAN, temperature, and pH. Caudal fins from three fish in each treatment were sampled at 24 h posttreatment to be analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). No significant difference in survival (mean ± SE) was noted between th...

This study at a commercial hatchery was required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to provide independent substantiation of the results of previous laboratory dose-confirmation studies on the use of copper sulfate (CuSO4) to control fungus (Saprolegnia spp.) on the eggs of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus. The study compared an untreated control group of eggs to eggs treated with 10 mg/L CuSO4 in a flow-through system; mean water temperature was 23.5°C. Eggs were treated once daily until the embryos reached the eyed stage (5 treatments). Hatching was complete by day 11, and fry were counted to determine the percentage of survival in each treatment. Fungus was identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as Saprolegnia spp. The mean survival in the control treatments was 4% and 40% in the CuSO4 treatments; the latter survival was significantly higher, but still lower than normal. This study confirms that 10 mg/L CuSO4 is an effective treatment to control fungus on catfish eggs when used daily u...

Catfish hatcheries use copper sulphate pentahydrate (CuSO4·5H2O) as an economical control for saprolegniasis on eggs. This study determines hatch rate of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque 1818), eggs in hatching troughs containing 23.8 °C flow-through well water when treated with 100 mg L−1 CuSO4·5H2O (10 times the proposed therapeutic dose). Eggs were treated daily until the embryos reached the eyed stage. Fry survival in the control and 100 mg L−1 CuSO4·5H2O treatments was significantly different (15% and 71% respectively). This study demonstrates that there is a considerable margin of safety in using CuSO4·5H2O as a catfish egg treatment to control saprolegniasis.

Reduced survival of fish eggs is often a result of infestation with fungi Saprolegnia spp. However, timely chemical treatments often limit these infestations and increase survival. The effect of copper sulfate pentahydrate (CSP; 10 mg of CSP/L of water), diquat bromide (25 mg of diquat cation/L), formalin (433 mg/L), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2; 250 mg/L) on percent hatch and fungal infestation in eggs of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus was compared in two identical trials (five replicates for each chemical treatment per trial). The percent hatch in all chemical treatments was significantly better than percent hatch of the controls. The amount of fungal coverage on egg masses treated with CSP, formalin, and H2O2 was significantly less than that observed on the controls. Although not statistically different from the other treatments, H2O2 at 250 mg/L exhibited the highest average percent hatch (64%; control hatch = 34%), the lowest fungal coverage (1.5 cm; control coverage = 7.2 cm), and the l...

Two dose confirmation studies are required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to verify the effectiveness of a candidate before approval as a new animal drug is awarded; the two studies provide independent substantiation of the results. This laboratory study was designed to compare an untreated control and a 10-mg/L copper sulfate (CuSO4) treatment to control fungus (Saprolegnia spp.) on eggs of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus at 23.5°C in a flow-through system. The eggs were treated once daily until the embryos reached the eyed stage (five treatments). When hatching was complete for all viable eggs (day 10), the fry were counted to determine the percent survival in each treatment. Infestation by a fungus identified morphologically and by polymerase chain reaction as Saprolegnia spp. was severe in the control fish, resulting in 8% survival. The mean percent survival of fry hatched from the CuSO4-treated eggs was significantly higher (mean, 55%; range, 27–71%).

The free-living infective theront of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis historically has been thought to be the only stage susceptible to treatment. Here we introduce a technique to determine the toxicity of compounds to the newly released tomont, the encysted tomont and the developing tomites within the tomont that emerge as theronts. The toxicity of Wofasteril E400 (40% peracetic acid, PAA) to free-living forms of I. multifiliis was determined shortly after tomonts were physically removed from the surface of the fish and at 2.5 and 24 h after removal. Results indicate that 0.6 to 0.9 mg l(-1) PAA killed 39 to 82% of the newly released tomonts within 48 h when treated immediately. In a second experiment, tomonts were allowed to settle for 2.5 h after sampling from the skin and then treated for 12 h; concentrations > or =0.5 mg l(-1) PAA produced significantly fewer theronts than the controls. In a third experiment, encysted tomonts that were exposed to PAA 24 h after sampling from the skin and treated for 2 or 4 h produced a variable amount of theronts, but the concentrations tested (0.5 to 3.0 mg l(-1)) did not halt theront production. This research demonstrates that encysted I. multifiliis are less susceptible to chemical treatments.

Fungal infestations of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus eggs can lower hatch rate, which requires the producer to spawn more channel catfish or risk fingerling shortages. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatments (0.0, 15.6, 31.3, 62.5, 125, 250, 500, 1,000, 2,000, and 4,000 mg/L) were evaluated to determine their effect on channel catfish hatch rate (number of fry/number of eggs × 100) and control of naturally occurring infestations of fungi Saprolegnia spp. in an experimental compartmentalized trough hatching system. Experiments were run at water temperatures of 23.2–24.0°C, dissolved oxygen concentrations of 4.5–6.8 mg/L (53–79% saturation), total alkalinity of 209–217 mg/L, and total hardness of 91–110 mg/L. Treatments were applied to hatching compartments while well water was flowing at a rate of one water exchange every 30 min and egg density was 2.5 g eggs/L of water. Observations for fungal development were made daily, and the maximum measure of fungal growth was recorded. An initial range-f...

Ice-water and salt treatments were evaluated for disinfection of small immersible fisheries equipment contaminated with a nonindigenous tropical snail, the red-rim melania Melanoides tuberculatus. This introduced species can displace native snails and transmit trematodes directly to fish and indirectly to other animals, including humans. The red-rim melania has a well-developed operculum that protects it from desiccation and allows it to remain viable for days on dry fisheries equipment. Treatments were produced by adding 10 kg of salt and 33.3 kg of ice to 66.6 L of water (salt–ice-water [SIW]) or by adding 40 kg of ice to 32 L of water (ice-water only [IW]) and were tested for various periods (0.17 min to 24 h) to find exposures that would kill 100% of the treated snails. Temperatures produced in the test containers ranged from −6.3°C to −2.4°C for SIW and from 0°C to 4.9°C for IW. The survival of snails in saltwater-only (SW) treatments (10 kg of NaCl in 100 L of water) was also tested. Three ...

The biflagellated, single-celled parasite Ichthyobodo necator can cause significant losses among fish populations, particularly those cultured in tanks. Treatments of KMnO4 and CuSO4 were evaluated against a naturally occurring I. necator infestation on sunshine bass (female white bass Morone chrysops x male striped bass M. saxatilis) raised in tanks. Four-hour static treatments with 3 mg of KMnO4/L of water (2.5 mg/L above the determined KMnO4 demand) or 2 mg of CuSO4/L of water (total alkalinity = 207 mg/L; total hardness = 95 mg/L) were randomly applied to 4 tanks/treatment (23 fish/tank); the same treatments were reapplied 2 d later. Four tanks were used as positive controls. By 2 d posttreatment (after the second treatment), only 17.4% of the untreated control fish survived, and a sample of the remaining fish was heavily infested with I. necator. All remaining control fish were dead by 5 d posttreatment. The KMnO4 treatment significantly curtailed the initial mortality (survival = 92.4%) and slightly reduced the high parasite loads at 2 d posttreatment. However, fish mortalities increased dramatically over the next 3 d (survival at 5 d posttreatment = 37.5%), and parasite loads from sampled fish remained high. The CuSO4 treatment was effective in significantly lowering the parasite load (almost eliminating I. necator) and maintaining a high fish survival (87.5%) by 5 d posttreatment. The findings in this study clearly demonstrate that CuSO4 is a viable treatment for ichthyobodosis in tanks.

The faucet snail Bithynia tentaculata, a nonindigenous aquatic snail from Eurasia, was introduced into Lake Michigan in 1871 and has spread to the mid-Atlantic states, the Great Lakes region, Montana, and most recently, the Mississippi River. The faucet snail serves as intermediate host for several trematodes that have caused large-scale mortality among water birds, primarily in the Great Lakes region and Montana. It is important to limit the spread of the faucet snail; small fisheries equipment can serve as a method of snail distribution. Treatments with chemical disinfection, pH extremes, and heated water baths were tested to determine their effectiveness as a disinfectant for small fisheries equipment. Two treatments eliminated all test snails: (1) a 24-h exposure to Hydrothol 191 at a concentration of at least 20 mg/L and (2) a treatment with 50°C heated water for 1 min or longer. Faucet snails were highly resistant to ethanol, NaCl, formalin, Lysol, potassium permanganate, copper sulfate, Ba...

An experiment was performed to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of potassium permanganate (KMnO4) against Flavobacterium columnare. In vitro, F. columnare treated with KMnO4 at 2 mg/L for 8 h exhibited a 70% reduction in colony-forming units (CFU). A minimum KMnO4 concentration of 10 mg/L was needed to inhibit bacterial growth. An acute and systemic experimental infection was produced in channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus by waterborne exposure to the bacteria after mechanical cutaneous abrasion to remove mucus and epithelium. At 22 h postchallenge, an 8-h treatment with KMnO4 at 2.3 mg/L (2.0 mg/L above the average KMnO4 demand of 0.3 mg/L) was initiated. This did not reduce mortality in experimentally infected fish. The infection model utilized in the experiment was evaluated by examining the clinical signs and histopathology of infected fish. Fish in the model showed columnaris signs similar to those of a natural infection, including skin depigmentation and ulceration and gill necro...

The red-rim melania Melanoides tuberculata, a subtropical and tropical snail, is a nonindigenous species that has become established and is spreading in the United States. Of concern is the potential of the red-rim melania to displace native snail populations and to transmit trematodes that cause serious problems. One of these, a fish gill trematode, Centrocestus formosanus, has negatively affected U.S. commercial and wild fish stocks, including some endangered species. The snail has an operculum that can protect it from desiccation and can remain viable for days on dry fisheries equipment. Thus, contaminated fisheries equipment is suspected as one of the ways the snail is being moved from place to place. A study was conducted to find chemical treatments that would kill 100% of the red-rim melania. Thirteen different chemicals and chemical combinations were evaluated at different concentrations and for various exposure periods. Roccal-D-Plus, Hydrothol 191, niclosamide, and Virkon showed promise ...

Trematode parasites can cause massive infections in commercially raised fish. The most promising approach for the control of these infections is the reduction or elimination of snails that serve as vectors for the trematodes. A recent approach, the application of high concentrations of slurried hydrated lime (SHL) or copper sulfate pentahydrate (CSP) along pond margins (shoreline treatment), has shown promise in reducing populations of the marsh rams-horn snail Planorbella trivolvis (the snail vector of Bolbophorus damnificus and Clinostomum marginatum) in experimental ponds. While CSP has been shown to effectively reduce snail numbers, treatment efficacy and application methods using SHL have not been well defined. Four SHL treatments were evaluated for their ability to kill marsh rams-horn snails in experimental units designed to mimic commercial aquaculture ponds. The treatments were applied at water temperatures of 75–79°F (24–26°C), total alkalinity of 137–257 mg CaCO3/L of water, and total ...

The acute toxicity and highest nonlethal concentration of praziquantel (LC0) were determined in the laboratory for grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella and golden shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas, two cyprinids known to harbor the Asian tapeworm Bothriocephalus acheilognathi. Praziquantel is an anthelmintic used to treat fish with tapeworms. The 24-h and 96-h LC50 values were 55.1 and 49.7 mg/L for golden shiners (1.3 g) and 63.4 and 60.6 mg/L for grass carp (9.1 g). The 24-h and 96-h LC0 values were 50.0 and 45.0 mg/L for golden shiners and 60.0 and 60.0 mg/L for grass carp.

A digenetic trematode identified as Bolbophorus sp. has been implicated as a cause of severe mortality and reduced production in commercially raised channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus in the southeastern United States. Currently, chemical control measures to limit the impact of this disease focus on pond shoreline treatments with hydrated lime or copper sulfate to kill the marsh ram's-horn snail Planorbella trivolvis, an intermediate host that inhabits aquatic vegetation around the pond perimeter. Although effective, these treatments have little impact on snails that are not within close proximity to the pond bank. Tests were conducted to determine the feasibility of using elevated levels of copper sulfate pentahydrate (CSP; CuSO4·5H2O), uniformly applied to the surface of the pond water, to eradicate snails from the pond environment. Results demonstrated that uniform application to deliver between 2.5- and 5.0-ppm CSP (0.64–1.27-ppm Cu) was effective in killing snails around the margins of the ...

On 16 November 1963, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fish Farming Experimental Station at Stuttgart, Arkansas, became the first institution to import grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) into the United States. This introduction was the result of at least seven years of effort to find an effective biological control for problematic aquatic weeds. The introduction was in keeping with a strong environmental and political mandate of that day to replace the broad use of chemicals with biological controls. For about 10 years, federal and state agencies and university systems strongly promoted introductions, spawning, and nationwide stocking of the grass carp. In 1966, the USFWS laboratory at Stuttgart, Arkansas, was apparently responsible for the first accidental release of grass carp to the environment. By 1972, grass carp were stocked in open water systems, documented in 16 states, and established in the Mississippi River system. All this occurred before the first private-sector commercial produ...

Centrocestus formosanus, the gill trematode, has caused serious losses among fish raised by tropical fish producers since the early 1980s and is believed to be harmful to wild fish populations, including the federally listed endangered fountain darter (Etheostoma fonticola), in the Comal River near San Marcos, Texas. The parasite appears to infect in many fishes from Hawaii, Florida, Texas, and Utah. The gill trematode has a complex life cycle involving definitive hosts (aquatic birds and occasionally some mammals) and intermediate hosts (aquatic snails and several fish species). In the United States, the green heron (Butorides virescens) and the great egret (Ardea alba) serve as definitive hosts. The first intermediate host, the red-rim melania (Melanoides tuberculatus), an exotic snail, has been found in 15 southern and western states. This snail exhibits resistance to desiccation, molluscicides, and disinfectants and has been documented to out-compete established mollusks. Both the gill tremat...

Zeolites purchased from aquaculture industry suppliers vary in their ability to remove ammonia, and little information is provided about their origin, type, and purity. To evaluate them, a simplified method for comparing their ammonia control properties was developed. Ammonia levels from water treated with five different zeolites were effectively measured and compared with two different inexpensive total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) test kits using the same procedure. I found that 10 g of a zeolite added to and stirred in an ammonia solution (0.1 g of ammonium sulfate dissolved in 1 L water) for 20 min produced TAN levels within the readable ranges for the Hach Model NI-8 and NI-SA ammonia nitrogen test kits; a 1:6 dilution of the ammonia test solution was made just before the TAN analysis. The TAN readings after the addition of the five zeolites ranged from 1.2 to 2.6 mg/L (multiplying by 7 to get actual TAN readings is not necessary to compare zeolites) for the Model NI-8 kit. The Model NI-SA kit gav...

The red-rim melania Melanoides tuberculatus (family Thiaridae), a tropical, nonindigenous aquatic snail, has become established and is spreading in the United States. Concerns associated with the spread of this snail include its potential to displace native snail populations and to transmit trematodes. Of particular concern is the gill trematode Centrocestus formosanus now found in U.S. commercial and wild fish stocks. The snail survives year-round in subtropical ponds and constant-temperature spring runs in Florida and Texas and in geothermal waters of several western and midwestern states. Knowledge of the temperature tolerances of the snail will increase the ability to predict its potential range in North American waters and to control its spread. Under constant temperature conditions in the laboratory, all red-rim melania (15–25 mm shell height (SH)) were killed by exposure to 5°C for 1 d, 9°C for 2 d, 11°C for 8 d, and 13°C for 12 d. At 17°C and 32.5°C, about 10% of the snails died within 27...

Many states ban the importation of fish infected with the Asian tapeworm Bothriocephalus acheilognathi. Treatment with an effective tapeworm parasiticide prior to shipment would allow fish to be imported that might otherwise be rejected. In this study, extended praziquantel bath treatments of infected grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella were tested to determine their efficacy against Asian tapeworms. Preliminary praziquantel treatments of 0.7 mg/L or more for an exposure period of 24 h at grass carp densities of 69 g/L were effective in eliminating all tapeworms from 22-g fish. When the treatment duration was lowered to 12 h, a praziquantel concentration of 2.8 mg/L was required for effective treatment. In replicated studies, significantly reduced tapeworm numbers (0–5 tapeworms per treated fish compared with 30+ tapeworms per control fish) were observed following 24-h exposures to praziquantel at 0.5, 0.7, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/ L. Tapeworm elimination occurred only at the maximum concentration of 1.5 ...

Tests were run to determine whether any refinements were warranted in an established copper sulfate–citric acid pond shoreline treatment (Environmental Protection Agency registration number 1278–8) for aquatic marsh rams-horn snails Planorbella trivolvis. The treatments applied in these studies consisted of two levels (full and half) of copper sulfate (CuSO4; 589 and 294.5 g) with and without citric acid (CA; 58.9 and 0 g) that were delivered in a 2-m swath 10-m length of shoreline. In research ponds, shoreline treatments without CA were significantly more effective against the snails than the treatments with CA. The full CuSO4 treatment without CA was significantly more effective than the half treatment without CA at all temperatures tested below 35°C. There was a significant reduction in the effectiveness of the full treatment without CA at 17 ± 0.5°C (40% snail survival), while snail survival (average, 3.2%) in the trials run at 21.5, 23, 26, and 35°C was not significantly different from each ...

(2003). Reports of Fish Kills Prior to 1900 in the United States. Reviews in Fisheries Science: Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 1-11.

Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides are piscivorous fish raised on farms then sold live in Asian fish markets on the east and west coasts of the United States. In the winter of 1998, a major producer of feed-trained bass suffered a significant increase in fish mortality both during shipping and while the fish were still in ponds. No bacterial, viral, or significant parasitic pathogens were found at necropsy. Livers of affected fish were pale and translucent with 3–10 mm pink nodules on their surface and deeper in the parenchyma. Histological examination of these livers showed that the translucent regions of the liver contained few hepatocytes and were composed of tissue consistent with a chronic inflammatory response. Also present were eosinophils, islands of pancreatic and biliary cells, and granulomas that did not stain positively for mycobacteria. The pink nodules were areas of multifocal regeneration of normal hepatocytes. Sequential studies of bass in ponds revealed that the bass were progressively accumulating glycogen in their hepatocytes to an extent sufficient to explain the massive necrosis of that organ. In order to determine the effect of diets varying in available carbohydrate on fish growth, survival, and liver glycogen content, a 12-wk feeding trial was conducted in aquaria with juvenile largemouth bass. Nitrogen-free extract values indicated that an extruded trout diet, a steelhead trout diet, and a diet designed to contain 45% protein and 25% fat, contained 35, 27, and 21% carbohydrate, respectively. Weight gain was lowest in fish fed the extruded trout diet, while liver glycogen was significantly higher in fish fed diets with >27% carbohydrate than in fish fed the diet with 21% carbohydrate. The farmer switched to a diet similar to the 45–25 diet used in our trial. Subsequently, 16-mo-old fish examined in October 2000 had no hepatic nodules or necrosis, were significantly larger and less variable in size than previous crops, and the farmer experienced no significant losses in ponds or during shipping.

The rams-horn snail Planorbella trivolvis carries at least two important digenetic trematodes that infect propagated fish species in the southeastern United States. These snails are found in fish production ponds, and there are no proven chemical methods for eliminating them that would not also kill the fish. Application of an aqueous solution of 589 g of copper sulfate and 58.9 g of citric acid per 10 linear meters in a 2-m-wide swath along the pond shoreline produced an effective treatment. This would give an instantaneous treatment rate of about 59 ppm if the water in the 2-m swath averaged 0.5 m deep. In two separate trials, there was a significant difference in snail survival in the treated and sham-treated ponds. Average survival was 2.2% and 0% in the treatment ponds and 63.3% and 77.8% in the sham treatment ponds.

A histological and hematological study was performed to evaluate the effect of waterborne exposures of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus to potassium permanganate (KMnO4). Three concentrations of KMnO4 were chosen to represent one, three, and five times the therapeutic concentrations (0.438, 1.315, and 2.190 mg/L, respectively), based on the KMnO4 demand, for 36 h, which is three times the usual treatment duration. The organs examined were the gill, liver, and trunk kidney. Differential leukocyte counts of neutrophils and monocytes in the blood and plasma enzyme analyses (lactate dehydrogenase and alanine transaminase) were also performed. The gill was the only organ to show microscopic lesions. Fish exposed to the therapeutic concentration of KMnO4 for 36 h had mild hypertrophy and spongiosis in the gills sampled during exposure, but no lesions were noticed 2 d postexposure. Gills of fish exposed to three and five times the therapeutic dose had extensive hyperplasia, epithelial hypertrophy and...

Centrocestus formosanus, an exotic digenetic trematode that was recently found infecting wild fish in Texas, was evaluated to determine whether it could infect four propagated warmwater fish species. Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, sunshine bass (the hybrid of female white bass Morone chrysops and male striped bass Morone saxatilis), golden shiners Notemigonus crysoleucas, and fathead minnows Pimephales promelas were experimentally infected with cercariae of C. formosanus. The trematodes were embedded along the gill filament cartilage. Cyst production, cartilage displacement, and hyperplasia of the lamellar epithelium were observed in wet mounts of sunshine bass and fathead minnow gills. These pathological changes also occurred in golden shiners and channel catfish but appeared to be delayed and less pronounced. Histological examination showed that the parasites were encased in cartilage, and distorted areas were evident in the filament cartilage. Because this trematode has the ability to in...

The importance of fish health studies prior to the 1970s is largely ignored by US fish health investigators. This is because today's literature searches rarely obtain research information prior to 1970. The absence of this earlier literature can result in the duplication of research efforts and missing data that could change the course of a scientific investigation. This is particularly true for studies in fish parasitology. Much of the descriptive literature done between 1900 and 1950 is still valid today and may be the only work available for reference. Older data is also important to understanding disease origin and disease etiology. Information on diseased fish from the geographic region, now known as the United States of America, was first recorded in about 1609 when Captain John Smith described a fish kill. In the 19th century, more than 250 pieces of literature written by US investigators were retrieved that described diseases and parasites of fish. After 1899, only the studies of more prominent fish health specialists, as determined by publication records, have been highlighted. In general, this review documents the development of fish health studies in the US. It serves as a historical document, but more importantly as a resource of older works important to today's scientific studies.

Gills of 194 fountain darters Etheostoma fonticola collected from the Comal River in Texas from May 1997 through May 1998 were found to be parasitized with 8–1,524 metacercarial cysts of a heterophyid trematode tentatively identified as Centrocestus formosanus. The intensity of infection varied among three sites on the Comal River. In contrast, of 130 darters from the nearby San Marcos River that were examined, only 4 (3%) were infected, and these had 1–2 cysts per fish. Of 2,279 Melanoides tuberculata snails from the Comal River that were examined, 139 (6.1%) were infected with the trematode. Only 1 snail in 2,241 from the San Marcos River that were examined was infected. The presence of metacercariae in darters was associated with flared opercula, shortened or thickened gill filaments, epithelial hyperplasia, and engorged lamellae. The normal cartilage support of the filaments was distorted and displaced, leading to severe deformities of filament structure. Gill damage was severe and possibly l...

While culturing trunk kidneys from channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus with deep ulcerative lesions, we discovered strains of Edwardsiella ictaluri that could not be isolated under aerobic conditions. After passage of these bacterial isolates in an aerobic environment, minimal growth was observed. In thioglycolate broth, the passaged isolates had growth characteristics of bacteria with a limited tolerance for oxygen. Isolate S97-133, from May 1997, was identified as E. ictaluri by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Diagnostic Bacteriology Laboratory, Ames, Iowa. The S97-133 isolate and three others from 1994 were also definitively identified as E. ictaluri by the use of the monoclonal immuno dot-blot technique. In all, eight isolates were obtained from channel catfish over an 8-year period. All isolates were obtained during the months of May, June, July, and November.

Enteric septicemia of catfish (ESC), a disease of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, was first reported in 1979 based on isolates obtained from 1976 through 1978. Channel catfish that had been preserved in 1970, labeled “nutritional cranial spot,” and stored at the Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Center were tested with Gram stains, histology, and immunohistochemistry to demonstrate that the specimens were actually infected by Edwardsiella ictaluri (the causative agent of ESC). A reexamination of catfish disease case records has indicated that ESC might have been present in Arkansas in 1969. Investigation of these old records and specimens has led to insights on the discovery and epidemiology of the disease.

Bolbophorus trematodes in fish recently gained national attention because B. damnificus infections have caused major losses of commercially raised channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. We report the presence of a mixed infection (B. damnificus and Bolbophorus sp.) in fathead minnow Pimephales promelas. Of the 10 trematodes identified by Bolbophorus spp.−specific polymerase chain reaction assays, 9 were Bolbophorus sp. and 1 was B. damnificus. This is the first report of a natural infection of B. damnificus in a nonictalurid host. In fathead minnow, the prodiplostomula examined histologically were surrounded by thin-walled cysts; rarely, the cysts were accompanied by an inflammatory reaction that consisted primarily of macrophages.

The effectiveness of praziquantel (Droncit) against yellow grubs Clinostomum complanatum and unidentified, encysted, larval trematodes was tested in infected sunshine bass Morone chrysops female × M. saxatilis male. Praziquantel treatments significantly reduced the total number of live grubs in the fish in most treatment regimes tested. Treatment at 0.25 mg/L for 24 h was as effective as one at 8 mg/L for 8 h. Mature dead and dying metacercaria may have released toxins that killed host fish in some treatments.

The efficacy of potassium permanganate (KMnO4) against the early stages of an experimental acute infection of Flavobacterium columnare in channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, was evaluated. Fish were experimentally challenged by waterborne exposure for 2 h to F. columnare after cutaneous abrasion, and treated with KMnO4 at 2.0 mg L−1 above the KMnO4 demand at 0, 1, 2 or 4 h postchallenge for 24 h. Challenged non-treated fish acted as a positive control and non-challenged non-treated fish acted as a negative control. Fish challenged and treated with KMnO4 at 0, 1, 2 or 4 h postchallenge had mortalities of 26%, 63%, 64% and 83% respectively. The mortality of challenged fish treated with KMnO4 at 0 h postchallenge (26%) was significantly less than the positive control (77%). The mortalities of challenged fish treated at 1, 2 or 4 h postchallenge were not significantly different from the positive control fish. The results suggest that KMnO4 has a clear therapeutic value in early stages of columnaris infection but limited therapeutic value once the infection has progressed.

This range-finding study determined the optimum concentration of copper sulfate (CuSO4) for fungus control on eggs of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. The study consisted of five CuSO4 concentrations (2.5, 5, 10, 20, and 40 mg/L) and an untreated control in a flow-through system. A single spawn was used for each replication (N=4). Eggs were treated daily until the embryos reached the eyed stage. When hatching was complete for all viable eggs, fry were counted to determine the percent survival in each treatment. Fungal growth was severe in the untreated controls; survival of hatched fry in the control group was approximately 2%. The optimum CuSO4 treatment, as determined by percent survival of hatched fry, was 10 mg/L daily (69% survival); survival for this treatment group was significantly different from that for the controls. Very little fungus was present in treatments receiving 10-mg/L CuSO4 or higher except in one replication that had approximately 40% unfertilized eggs. The average survival rates in the 0-, 2.5-, 5-, 10-, 20-, and 40-mg/L CuSO4 treatments were 2, 34, 50, 69, 59, and 51%, respectively.

1 Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Center, U. S. Department of Agriculture, AgriculturalResearch Service, Stuttgart, AR, USA2 The University of Southern Mississippi, Department of Costal Sciences, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, OceanSprings, MS, USA3 Aquaculture/Fisheries Center, Department of Aquaculture/Fisheries, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, AR, USA

A trial was performed to evaluate the efficacy of diquat (6,7-dihydrodipyrido[1,2-a:2',1'-c]pyrazinediium dibromide) against an acute experimental infection of Flavobacterium columnare in channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus. Diquat is an Environmental Protection Agency-approved herbicide and has the potential to be legally and practically used against columnaris. Channel catfish were challenged, by cutaneous abrasion, and waterborne exposure to F. columnare and treated once at 22-h post-challenge with 2.5, 5.0, 10.0 and 15 mg L(-1) of diquat active ingredient for 6 h. At the conclusion of the trial, 21-day post-challenge, diquat at 5.0, 10.0 and 15 mg L(-1) significantly (P0.05) reduced the mortality of infected fish from 95% in the challenged non-treated fish to 68%, 59% and 49%, respectively. In vitro, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 23 isolates of F. columnare was assayed. The majority of the isolates had an MIC value of 5 microg mL(-1) (15 of the 23 isolates). Infected fish exhibited acute clinical signs similar to a natural infection. The skin had severe ulcerative necrotizing dermatitis and the muscles had severe necrotizing myositis. The gills had severe multifocal necrotizing branchitis. The results demonstrate that diquat would reduce mortalities caused by an acute columnaris infection.

An experiment was performed to evaluate the efficacy of potassium permanganate (KMnO4) as a prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of an experimental subacute infection of Flavobacterium columnare in channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus. Fish were cutaneously abraded and divided into five treatment groups: (i) challenged by waterborne exposure to F. columnare and not treated with KMnO4 (positive control), (ii) challenged and simultaneously treated with KMnO4, (iii) challenged and treated with KMnO4 at 1, 6 and 9 days post-challenge, (iv) not challenged and treated with KMnO4 at 1, 6 and 9 days post-challenge (first negative control) and (v) not challenged and not treated (second negative control). The dosing of KMnO4 was 2.0 mg L(-1) above the potassium permanganate demand for 2 h duration. The survival of the group challenged and simultaneously treated with KMnO4 (99%) was significantly higher than the positive control (78%) and was not significantly different from the negative control groups. The challenged fish treated with KMnO4 post-challenge had 7% higher survival than the positive control (85% compared with 78%), but that difference was not statistically significant. The results demonstrate that KMnO4 has a clear prophylactic value but probably a marginal therapeutic value once the infection has established.

Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque), with or without a preliminary 24 h exposure to 2 mg copper sulphate L(-1), were challenged with 7.5 x 10(6) colony forming units L(-1) of Edwardsiella ictaluri to determine the effect of copper sulphate on disease resistance. Catfish previously exposed to copper sulphate were significantly more resistant to the bacterial challenge than those not exposed. Catfish not exposed to copper sulphate suffered 35.5% mortality while catfish exposed to copper sulphate experienced 14.1% mortality. Copper concentrations were the same in tank waters of both exposed and control fish at the time of challenge, eliminating the possibility that copper in the water may have been toxic to bacteria. Copper concentrations in freeze dried and ground tissues of unexposed, exposed, and purged channel catfish were highest in fish before copper sulphate exposures suggesting that elevated tissue levels of copper were not responsible for the increased resistance to bacterial challenge. Competition for sites of bacterial attachment to gill or epithelial cells may account for the reduction in mortality; although this is not supported by the low copper content of fish tissue after copper exposure.

A method for detecting the Asian tapeworm Bothriocephalus acheilognathi in fish is described. Glass slides or plates are used to flatten the intestinal tract, and the worms are detected by reflected light and low-power microscopy.