STUDY IN DISEASES OF FISH: FIN-ROT— A BACTERIAL DISEASE OF FINS OF FISH By DR. Hamp Kuan, MSc. LL.B. (Punyas), Px.D. (Canras.) (Fisheries Research Officer, Punjab, Lyallpur) Received October 13, 1939 (Communicated by Dr. B. L. Bhatia, D.Sc. F.x.t.) In November 1938 heavy mortality occurred among Gourami fingerlings (Osphormenus gourimy Lackpide) when these were being transported by canal from Madras Fisheries Farm, Sunkesula to Kurnool Town—a distance of 17 miles—in a “live-car”.! ‘The fingerlings, before despatch, had been “conditioned” for a day or two, i.c., had been confined in a “ conditioning- cara wooden framed box with wire netting on all sides—kept in water and starved. In all the dead fry it was observed that the candal fin was frayed, and observations made on the dying fingerlings, en route from Kurnool Town to Delhi, showed that the epidermis from the caudal fin was gradually being eaten off and the caudal rays were consequently getting exposed. In some cases the dorsal and anal fins had also been affected (Plate XVIII, Figs. 1-4), ‘The sick fry swam near the surface of the water in the container, lost their balance on the caudal fin becoming frayed upto its base, turned upside down, and died, the dead ones sinking to the bottom. ‘The author had noticed similar symptoms among Rainbow trout fry when they were attacked by fin-rot? In order to investigate the matter in detail, freshly dead Gourami fry were taken to the Imperial Agricultural Institute, New Delhi, and examined by the Assistant Bacteriologist. His Preparation from affected caudal fin (Plate XVIII, Fig. 5) showed exactly similar rod-shaped bacteria as had previously been observed by the author in Rainbow trout suffering from an attack of fin-rot. 4“ Live-ear"" is a wooden barrel, conical at one end and round at the other, with asmall opening at one side. It is made to float in water and has been in use for trans. port of alive fish by Madras Fisheries Departmont for a number of years. 2 * Conditioning-car” is similar to “‘live-car” used in the Punjab for keeping fry under observation. Its photograph was given by the author in Journ, Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc., 1924, 29, No. 4, 5 Hamid Khan,“ Notes on the diseases of Trout at the Mahili Hatchery—Kula— Punjab", ibid., 1989, 40, 4, 653-56, 369 BG F