Topic 1

AN INTRODUCTION
TO FISH HEALTH
MANAGEMENT
Fish Health &
Aquaculture
● Disease outbreaks have long been recognized as a
significant constraint to aquaculture production and
economic viability.
● A wide range of pathogens (viruses, bacteria, parasites
etc), environmental factors (water quality, etc), and even
husbandry factors have caused heavy losses in aquaculture
facilities
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, the 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.
● 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.
Sources of pathogens
● In intensive aquaculture facilities, the water supply,

especially if fish are present in that water
● New fish stock from other facilities

Determining if your fish are sick
In terms of Behavior
● Fish often stop feeding and may appear lethargic.
● Observed hanging listlessly in shallow water
● Gasping at the surface
● Rubbing against objects indicate
Determining if your fish are sick
In terms of Physical
● Presence of sores (ulcers or hemorrhages), 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
Ragged Tail of Fin fish
Atlantic Salmon with skin ulcers
Goldfish popeye disease Guppy fish dropsy disease

What to do if your fish are sick
01
02
Water quality
Daily records
Types of fish diseases
Infectious diseases
● 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
Non-Infectious diseases
● caused by environmental problems, nutritional
deficiencies, or genetic abnormalities; they are not
contagious and usually cannot be cured by medications.
Infectious Diseases
Categorized as parasitic, bacterial, viral, or fungal diseases
● Parasitic diseases are most frequently caused by small

microscopic organisms called protozoa
● Protozoans that infest the gills and skin of fish causing
irritation, weight loss, and eventually death
● Control measures: Using standard fishery chemicals such
as copper sulfate, formalin, or potassium permanganate
Infectious Diseases
● Bacterial diseases are often internal infections and require

treatment with medicated feeds containing antibiotics
● Symptoms: hemorrhagic spots or ulcers along the body
wall and around the eyes and mouth; an enlarged, fluid-
filled abdomen, and protruding eyes.
Infectious Diseases
Categorized as parasitic, bacterial,
viral, or fungal diseases
● It can also be external, resulting in

erosion of skin and ulceration.
Columnaris is an example of an
external bacterial infection that may
be caused by rough handling.
Infectious Diseases
● Viral diseases are impossible to distinguish from bacterial

diseases without special laboratory tests
● Difficult to diagnose and no specific medications available
to cure viral infections of fish
Infectious 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 colonize
damaged tissue on the exterior of the fish.
Infectious Diseases
Categorized as parasitic, bacterial, viral,
or fungal diseases
● These areas appear to have a cottony

growth or may appear as brown matted
areas when the fish are removed from
the water.
● Treatment: Formalin or potassium
permanganate
Non- Infectious Diseases
Categorized as environmental, nutritional, or genetic
● Environmental diseases include low dissolved oxygen, high
ammonia, high nitrite, or natural or man-made toxins in

the aquatic environment.
● Proper techniques for managing water quality will enable
producers to prevent most environmental diseases.

● Nutritional diseases can be very difficult to diagnose.
● Ex: "broken back disease," in catfush caused by vitamin C
deficiency.
● Contributes to improper bone development, resulting in
deformation of the spinal column

● Nutritional diseases can be very difficult to diagnose.

● Ex: “No blood disease" which may be related to a folic acid
deficiency.
● Affected fish become anemic and may die.
● Genetic abnormalities include conformational oddities

such as lack of a tail or presence of an extra tail.
Two-headed sharks
What is Fish Health
Management
Fish Health Management
● Describe management practices that are designed to
prevent fish disease
● Successful fish health management begins with the
prevention of disease rather than treatment.
Factors that cause disease
01 02 03 04
Sub-optimal Poor nutrition Immune Pathogens
water quality system
suppression
Health Checks
● Routine monitoring of your animals for

diseases is critical to maintain good fish
health.
● A sample of the population is thoroughly
examined and assessed against various
welfare indicators to provide an indication of
the health of the whole population.
Vaccination
● Effective way of protecting fish from viral and
bacterial diseases
● Common practice for most aquaculture species
to be vaccinated at least once in their production
cycle
Bath Treatments
● Fish are dosed with an insecticide, vaccine,

antifungal, freshwater, or other chemicals.
● Existing bath treatments are known to have
welfare problems and have been linked to
the development of pesticide resistance and
a subsequent reduction in treatment
efficacy.
Mechanical Treatments
● Mechanical delousing treatments require fish to be
crowded and then pumped into a treatment system,
dewatered and the lice mechanically removed.
Daily Observation of fish behavior and
feeding activity
● Allows early detection of problems and a diagnosis can be
made before the majority of the population becomes sick
● If treatment is indicated, it is implemented early in the
course of the disease while the fish are still in good shape
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AN INTRODUCTION

● In intensive aquaculture facilities, the water supply,

● New fish stock from other facilities

Goldfish popeye disease Guppy fish dropsy disease

may be necessary to control the disease outbreak

● Parasitic diseases are most frequently caused by small

Categorized as parasitic, bacterial, viral, or fungal diseases

● Bacterial diseases are often internal infections and require

● It can also be external, resulting in

● Viral diseases are impossible to distinguish from bacterial

● Fungal spores are common in the aquatic environment but

● These areas appear to have a cottony

ammonia, high nitrite, or natural or man-made toxins in

producers to prevent most environmental diseases.

● Ex: "broken back disease," in catfush caused by vitamin C

deformation of the spinal column

● Nutritional diseases can be very difficult to diagnose.

● Genetic abnormalities include conformational oddities

● Routine monitoring of your animals for

● Fish are dosed with an insecticide, vaccine,

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