DAVAO ORIENTAL STATE UNIVERSITY

BANAYBANAY EXTENSION CAMPUS

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL

in

BTLE 110
(Introduction to Agri-Fishery Arts 2)

Prepared by:

RENEE ROSE Y. SAYLAN, L.Agr.

Agriculture Department
 MODULE 3

Lesson 2

FISH DISEASES AND ITS MANAGEMENT

Activity

A. Collect a picture of a diseased fish. Put the picture inside the box,

Name of the Disease

Disease Description

Sign/Symptoms of the disease

Preventive Measure

Analysis

A.
1. Is fish health management necessary? Why?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. What causes disease outbreak?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
3. How to solve fish disease problem?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
 Abstraction

Fish Health Management

Fish health management is a term used in aquaculture to describe management practices

which are designed to prevent fish disease. Once fish get sick it can be difficult to salvage them.
Successful fish health management begins with prevention of disease rather than
treatment. Prevention of fish disease is accomplished through good water quality
management, nutrition and sanitation. Without this foundation it is impossible to prevent
outbreaks of opportunistic diseases. The fish is constantly bathed in potential pathogens,
including bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Even use of sterilisation technology (ie, ultraviolet
sterilisers, ozonation) does not eliminate all potential pathogens from the environment. Sub-
optimal water quality, poor nutrition or immune system suppression generally associated with
stressful conditions allow these potential pathogens to cause disease. Medications used to treat
these diseases provide a means of buying time for fish and enabling them to overcome
opportunistic infections, but are no substitute for proper animal husbandry.

Daily observation of fish behaviour and feeding activity allows early detection of
problems when they do occur so that a diagnosis can be made before the majority of the
population becomes sick. If treatment is indicated, it will be most successful if it is implemented
early in the course of the disease while the fish are still in good shape.

The significance of fish disease to aquaculture

Fish disease is a substantial source of monetary loss to aquaculturists. Production costs

are increased by fish disease outbreaks because of the investment lost in dead fish, cost of
treatment, and decreased growth during convalescence. In nature we are less aware of fish
disease problems because sick animals are quickly removed from the population by predators. In
addition, fish are much less crowded in natural systems than in captivity. Parasites and bacteria
may be of minimal significance under natural conditions, but can cause substantial problems
when animals are crowded and stressed under culture conditions.

Disease is rarely a simple association between a pathogen and a host fish. Usually other
circumstances must be present for active disease to develop in a population.

Determining if your fish are sick

The most obvious sign of sick fish is the presence of dead or dying animals. However,
the careful observer can usually tell that fish are sick before they start dying because sick fish
often stop feeding and may appear lethargic. Healthy fish should eat aggressively if fed at
regularly scheduled times. Pond fish should not be visible except at feeding time. Fish that are
observed hanging listlessly in shallow water, gasping at the surface, or rubbing against objects
indicate something may be wrong. These behavioural abnormalities indicate that the fish are not
feeling well or that something is irritating them.
 In addition to behavioural changes, there are physical signs that should alert producers to
potential disease problems in their fish. These include the presence of sores (ulcers or
haemorrhages), ragged fins, or abnormal body confirmation (ie, a distended abdomen or
"dropsy" and exophthalmia or "popeye"). When these abnormalities are observed, the fish
should be evaluated for parasitic or bacterial infections.

What to do if your fish are sick?

Low oxygen is a frequent cause of fish mortality in ponds, especially in the summer.
High levels of ammonia are also commonly associated with disease outbreaks when fish are
crowded in vats or tanks.

In general, check dissolved oxygen, ammonia, nitrite, and pH, during a minimum water
quality screen associated with a fish disease outbreak. The parameters of significance include
total alkalinity, total hardness, nitrate (saltwater systems) and chlorine (if using city water).

Ideally, daily records should be available for immediate reference when a fish disease
outbreak occurs. These should include the dates fish were stocked, size of fish at stocking,
source of fish, feeding rate, growth rate, daily mortality and water quality. This information is
needed by the aquaculture specialist working with you to solve your fish disease problem. Good
records, a description of behavioural and physical signs exhibited by sick fish, and results of
water quality tests provide a complete case history for the diagnostician working on your case.

Types of fish diseases

1. Infectious diseases
 Infectious diseases are caused by pathogenic organisms present in the environment or
carried by other fish
 They are contagious diseases, and some type of treatment may be necessary to control
the disease outbreak.
 Infectious diseases are broadly categorised as parasitic, bacterial, viral, or fungal
diseases.
a. Parasitic diseases
 most frequently caused by small microscopic organisms called protozoa
which live in the aquatic environment
 There are a variety of protozoans which infest the gills and skin of fish
causing irritation, weight loss, and eventually death
 Most protozoan infections are relatively easy to control using standard
fishery chemicals such as copper sulfate, formalin, or potassium
permanganate
b. Bacterial Disease
 are often internal infections and require treatment with medicated feeds
  fish infected with a bacterial disease will have haemorrhagic spots or ulcers
along the body wall and around the eyes and mouth, have an enlarged, fluid-
filled abdomen, and protruding eyes
 can also be external, resulting in erosion of skin and ulceration
 Columnaris is an example of an external bacterial infection which may be
caused by rough handling
c. Viral diseases
 are difficult to diagnose and there are no specific medications available to
cure viral infections of fish
 Consultation with an aquaculture or fish health specialist is recommended if
you suspect a bacterial or viral disease is killing your fish
d. Fungal diseases
 Fungal spores are common in the aquatic environment, but do not usually
cause disease in healthy fish
 When fish are infected with an external parasite, bacterial infection, or
injured by handling, the fungi can colonise damaged tissue on the exterior of
the fish. These areas appear to have a cottony growth or may appear as
brown matted areas when the fish are removed from the water.
 Formalin or potassium permanganate are effective against most fungal
infections
 Since fungi are usually a secondary problem it is important to diagnose the
original problem and correct it as well.

2. Non-infectious diseases
 Non-infectious diseases can be broadly categorised as environmental, nutritional, or
genetic
a. Environmental diseases
- include low dissolved oxygen, high ammonia, high nitrite or natural or man-made
toxins in the aquatic environment
- Proper techniques of managing water quality will enable producers to prevent
most environmental diseases
b. Nutritional diseases
- very difficult to diagnose
- A classic example of a nutritional disease of catfish is "broken back disease,"
caused by vitamin C deficiency. The lack of dietary vitamin C contributes to
improper bone development, resulting in deformation of the spinal column
c. Genetic abnormalities
- include conformational oddities such as lack of a tail or presence of an extra tail.
- it is important to bring in unrelated fish for use as broodstock every few years to
minimise inbreeding.
 Application

A. IDENTIFICATION. Give what is asked.

_______________1. __________is a substantial source of monetary loss.
_______________2. The presence of what is the most obvious sign of sick fish?
_______________3. High levels of what element is present when disease outbreaks in
tanks.
_______________4. Which type of disease is caused by pathogenic organisms?
_______________5. Ulcers in fish are caused of what type of disease.
_______________6. What non-infectious disease in fish is very difficult to diagnose.
_______________7. A practice which are designed to prevent fish disease.
_______________8. What causes fish mortality in ponds?
_______________9. Fish that suffer improper bone development is deficient in what
nutrient?
_______________10. Why is it important to bring in unrelated fish for use as broodstock?

B. ESSAY. Briefly answer the question below

1. How will you know that the fish is sick? What will you do to resolve it?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Congratulations! You can now proceed to the next lesson