Open AccessPARASITES OF CULTURED EELS 1
Author(s) -
Field Donald W.,
Eversole Arnold G.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
journal of the world mariculture society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.655
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1749-7345
pISSN - 0735-0147
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-7345.1984.tb00167.x
Subject(s) - trichodina , biology , stocking , parasite hosting , fishery , anguilla rostrata , fish <actinopterygii> , zoology , gill , world wide web , computer science
Glass eel and elver stages of American eel ( Anguilla rostrata ) collected from Cooper River were stocked separately in ponds at a commercial aquaculture facility near Georgetown, South Carolina, in April 1981. Monthly samples of 15 glass eels and 15 elvers were examined for parasites from May 1981 through July 1982. Cultured glass eels (n=225) harbored 5 species of parasites and cultured elvers (n=225) 11 species. Myxidium giardi was the most frequently encountered parasite in cultured glass eels (43.6%) and elvers (60.4%). The percent occurrence of M. giardi was significantly (P < 0.05) greater in cultured elvers. Occurrence (%) and intensity (parasites/infected eel) of Trichodina sp., the second most frequently encountered parasite, was 10.7% and 3.8 for cultured glass eels and 17.7% and 5.0 for cultured elvers. Occurrence and intensity of Trichodina sp. remained below levels found on wild elvers and elvers treated prophylactically with 100 mg/liter formalin for one hour before stocking ponds. Two species ( Henneguya sp. and Ichthyophthirius multifilis ) not found in wild eels occurred in cultured elvers and 3 new species ( Trichodina sp., Bothriocephalus scorpii , and Philonema sp.) not found in wild glass eels were recovered from cultured glass eels. Management implications in accordance with parasite differences between glass eels and elvers are discussed.