FISH DISEASES process of maturation

SOURCE: 1. industrial waste disposal

2. discharge of unclean sewage On setting & hardening, CaOH is formed and
Toxicity of poisons depend on other dissolved in water, increasing the pH (alkalosis)
environmental conditions: and causing severe damage to fish skin and gills

1. Temperature- high temperature, high toxicity HYDROGEN SULFIDE

2. pH- ammonia is less toxic in lower pH
3. DO- high DO, high ammonia and cyanide Occur as a result of anaerobic bacterial action and
toxicity decomposition on the bottom sediments and
organic matter
Common toxic substances in the water:
1. Ammonia 6. Chlorine SYMPTOMS:
2. Nitrites & nitrates 7. Ozone 1. Violet or reddish gills
3. Calcium hydroxide 8. Heavy Metals 2. Reduced hatchability of eggs
4. HydrOgen sulfide 9. Pesticides 3. Suffocation
5. Dissolved/ 10. Detergents and
suspended impurities phenolic S- ions combine chemically with the Fe of
cmpds hemoglobin thereby blocking respiration

AMMONIA (NH3) DISSOLVED/SUSPENDED IMPURITIES

May cause:
Caused by bacterial degradation of organic matter 1. osmoregulatory failure
and pollutants 2. suffocation
3. gill problems and damage
Results in: 4. fin rot
1. irritation of the nervous system
2. distal parts of fins may lose color CHLORINE
3. haemolysis (destruction of RBCs and the
release of hemoglobin) Due to the use of potable water without allowing
4. gill hyperplasia time for chlorine dissipation

NITRITES AND NITRATES Chlorine > 4 mg/l can kill fish in 7-8 hrs

Accumulation in water either by heavy pollution SYMPTOMS:

or by excess fertilizer 1. gill sheets appear pale and whitish
2. whitish skin
Dissolved nitrites& nitrates increase solubility of 3. sunken eyes
many heavy metals 4. restlessness

Cause respiratory stress OZONE

Nitrite: 0.001 – 0.01 g/l Used as replacement for chlorine:

Nitrate: 0.1 – 0.3 g/l 1. to disinfect water
2. for sewage effluent treatment
CALCIUM HYDROXIDE 3. as power plant coolant water

New tanks and ponds made of cement or concrete May cause:

cannot be used until they have undergone a 1. massive gill lamellar destruction
 2. gill hypertrophy
3. increase blood sugar
HEAVY METALS
Source: industrial and mining effluents
1. Fe - ionized salts o coagulated hydroxides
- may settle on the gills
- 0.9 mg/l may cause fish death
2. Mn - less toxic than Fe
- toxic conc'n: 0.50 g/l (as sulfate)
0.33 g/l (as chloride)
3. Cu - toxic to fish when dissolved in water
- toxicity enhanced if Zn and Cd present
- brass (alloy of Cu and Zn), when dissolved in
water, is more toxic since it is easily corroded by
water
4. Pb - soluble Pb compounds are highly toxic
- solid metal generally safe because of the
protective coating on the surface
- toxic conc'n: 0.33 mg/l
5. Zn - gradual increasing destruction of gill
tissues
- may be absorbed in the intestine and accumulate
in the liver
- aquatic plants can absorb and accumulate Zn
from the water even at very low concentration
- toxic conc'n: 1 mg/l
6. Ni - increased toxicity Zn is present
7. Cd - highly toxic, esp. in the presence of Cu
- toxic conc'n: 15 mg/l
8. Al – normally harmless except in acidic water
- Al paints are used to protect galvanized Fe
frames of aquaria against corrosion
PESTICIDES
Synthetic and natural compounds used to control
animals and plants considered harmful to humans
Major sources entering ponds:
1. run off from agricultural treated land
2. industrial discharges
3. domestic waste
3 major groups of pesticides:
1. Chlorinated hydrocarbon (CHC)
- synthetic organic compounds that is soluble in
organic solvent
- in fishes, it accumulate large quantities of CHC
during summer with little effect since it
accumulates in the adipose tissue
- when food is scarce, the fish release stored CHC
and its metabolites that are absorbed by the
nervous tissues resulting to the destruction of
nerve cells
- examples: DDT Endrin
- may cause: partial or complete paralysis
spinal curvature
reduced growth and survival
2. Organophosphate insecticides
- oily, volatile, insoluble in water but soluble in
organic solvents
- examples: Malathione, Gusathion
- may cause: abnormal muscle contraction
spinal curvature
mortality
3. Carbamate insecticides
- highly toxic to insects and crustaceans but low
toxicity to most vertebrates
- examples: Sevin, Zectran
DETERGENTS AND PHENOLIC
COMPOUNDS
may cause: delayed gamete development
anemia
skeletal abnormalities
gill abnormalities
renal abnormalities
In intensive aquaculture, proper nutrition and
adequate feeding is important.

Undernourished animals cannot maintain health
and growth regardless of the quality of
environment.
A nutritionally balanced feed must contain the
required nutrients in proper proportion.
There are approx. 40 essential nutrients required
by all fish, the amount of each depends on:
1. Fish species
2. Stage of development
3. Feeding habit
4. Type of culture
Advantages of diets:
1. Overcome environmental stress
2. Hasten recovery from infection
3. Slow or retard the progress of disease
Disadvantages of diets:
1. Cause nutritional imbalances (deficiency
diseases or nutritional toxicoses)
2. Introduce infective agents
Nutritional diseases are caused by deficiency,
excess or improper balance of food components.
- improper formulation
- using imbalanced ingredients
- improper processing
Most nutritional diseases are chronic in nature,
usually developing slowly over an extended period
of time.
In terms of practical diets, it is usually in the lipid
and digestible carbohydrate components of the
macronutrients that the major problem arises.
General symptoms of fishes with nutritional
deficiency:
1. Slow growth 4. Low survival
2. Decreased appetite 5. mortalities
3. Poor spawning
Early signs are difficult to interpret if moderate
deficiencies or excesses are involved, or if it is
masked by secondary invading infectious
organism.
Pathologist should be aware of:
1. Type of diets fed 4. Supplemental diet
2. Diet formulation 5. Feeding practices
3. Nutritional requirement of the animal
Diagnosis may require:
1. Observation of external and internal disease
signs
2. Quantitative clinical chemistry on blood or
tissues of affected animals
3. Histochemical analysis
4. Histopathological examination
5. Diet analysis and comparison with the animal's
nutritional requriements
Starvation is the absolute nutritional deficiency.
Signs of a starved fish:
1. Darker color with softer flesh
2. Pin-head
3. Pale gills
4. Lack of abdominal fat
Nutritional Diseases_Vitamins
by Nieves Toledo
March 11, 2007
Ca: Function: skeletal constituent
Plays a role in muscular & neural activity
Plays a role in blood clotting & Vit. D
metabolism
Deficiency Symptoms: Impaired growth
Impaired adaptation to abrupt environmental
changes
P: Function: Involved in important metabolic
process
Present in nucleic acids
Deficiency Symptoms: Retarded growth
Poor feed utilization
Interfere with bone development
Increased visceral fat content
Decreased water content
 A. VIT. A (RETINOL)

S: Function: Constituent of methionine and DEFICIENCY

cysteine Reduced appetite
Poor growth
Na: Function: Important in osmoregualtion Keratomalacia
Blindness
Cl: Function: Important in osmoregulation Exophthalmus
Ascitis and edema
K: Function: Important for the stimulation of Hemorrhage
muscle & neural systems
HYPERVITAMINOSIS
Mg: Function: Important in phosphorylation Stunted growth
reaction Poor feed utilization
Importanct in certain enzyme systems Fin lesion
Pale liver
Deficiency Symptoms: Poor growth due to loss of Spinal deformities
appetite Mortality
Cramp-like symptom
VITAMINS B. VIT. D (CALCIFEROL)
Deficiency leads to:
Vitamins are not actually considered as nutrients 1. retarded growth
but as dietary essentials to the survival of fishes. 2. necrotic kidney
3. low hemoglobin level
Some are essential co-factors for specific
metabolic processes; others have structural roles in C. VIT. E (TOCOPHEROL)
cell membranes. DEFICIENCY
Exophthalmus
Fish require 12-15 vitamins in the diet in relatively Ascitis
small amounts. Advanced anemia
Skeletal myopathy
Chemical forms of most vitamins that are used to Poor feed utilization
supplement feeds are quite stable under most
conditions (except Vit. C). HYPERVITAMINOSIS
high fat content in liver
Vitamins may either be: Diminished liver weight
1. Fat-soluble Muscular dystrophy
- can be readily stored in the body Poor growth
- metabolized relatively slow Poor feed utilization
- Vit. A, D, E, K Function of pituitary gland depressed

2. Water-soluble D. VIT. K
- Vit. B complex, C, Nicotinic acid, panthothenic Deficiency results to:
acid, biotin, choline 1. mild anemia
2. prolonged blood clotting time
3. hemorrhage in muscles and viscera
FAT-SOLUBLE VITAMINS
(usual diseases caused by deficiency rather than
hypervitaminosis) WATER-SOLUBLE VITAMINS
A. VIT. B1 (THIAMINE) under the exoskeleton
Deficiency leads to: 2. melanized lesion on the abdomen, carapace,
1. change in color gills, foregut and hindgut
2. hemorrhage at fin base
3. lethargy F. VIT. H (BIOTIN)
4. lose of balance in swimming Deficiency leads to:
5. opaque eyes 1. gradual appearance of bluish color in the
6. dark skin coloration skin
7. paralysis of voluntary muscles 2. depressed growth due to poor appetite
8. poor feed utilization 3. muscular atrophy
9. Poor growth
G. PANTHOTHENIC ACID
B. VIT. B2 (RIBOFLAVIN) Deficiency leads to:
Deficiency leads to: 1. loss of appetite
1. hemorrhagic eyes and operculum 2. hyperplasia of the gill lamellae
2. dark pigmentation 3. swelling of pectoral fin base
3. bilateral cataract 4. fatty liver
4. vascularization of cornea 5. exophthalmus
5. necrosis of the gills, operculum and fin 6. anemia
margins 7. hemorrhage of the body surface
8. blotchy skin
C. VIT. B6 (PYRIDOXINE) 9. flexing of operculum combined with severe
Deficiency leads to: difficulty in breathing
1. nervous disturbances
2. anemia H. FOLIC ACID
3. edema with colorless ascitis Deficiency leads to:
4. gasping opercullum 1. loss of appetite
5. skin inflammation 2. poor growth
6. loss of appetite 3. loss of caudal fin control
4. clumsy swimming motions
D. VIT. B12 (COBALAMINE) 5. increased liver weight
Deficiency leads to: 6. pale gills
1. inadequate feed utilization 7. anemia
2. poor growth 8. exophthalmus
3. anemia 9. ascitis
10. darkening of color
E. VIT. C (ASCORBIC ACID)
I. NICOTINIC ACID
Deficiency leads to: Deficiency leads to:
1. poor appetite 1. uncoordinated movements
2. poor feed efficiency 2. intestinal lesions
3. reduced weight gain 3. edema
4. spinal curvature 4. swollen gills and flexing operculum
5. anemia 5. muscle spasms
6. lesions on gills and operculum 6. severe erosion of pectoral and caudal fins

In shrimps, “Black Death Disease” occurs if Vit. C J. CHOLINE (LECITHIN)

is deficient and is characterized by: Deficiency leads to:
1. anemia
1. melanized lesion in the loose connective tissues 2. hemorrhagic kidney
 3. fatty liver infiltration
K. INOSITOL (MYOINOSITOL)
Deficiency leads to:
1. poor appetite
2. depressed growth
3. sluggish movement
4. fin breakage or erosion
5. gastric enlargement
6. fatty liver
For most vitamins, the visible signs of dietary
deficiency are non-specific, with anorexia being
the most obvious and common sign.
The absence of visible signs does not necessarily
mean that a fish is in optimal nutritional health.
Note that by the time signs of nutrient deficiency
are visible, the fish have usually ceased feeding.
Essential vitamins for fish and their functions:
C- essential for collagen synthesis
synthesis of steroid hormones
transformation and utilization of folic acid
plays a part in absorption of Fe
Biotin- involved in fatty acid turnover
de-amination of a.a.
Panthothenic Acid- metabolism of CHO, protein
& fat
required for all combustion reactions
Folic Acid- essential for blood formation
functions in the synthesis of nucleic acid
Nicotinic Acid- role in the normal respiratory
process
metabolism of CHO
Choline- basic compound of the neurotransmitter,
acetylcholine
component of phospholipid membranes

A- essential for normal vision Inositol- component of phospholipid membranes

important in epithelium formation involved in CHO metabolism
plays a role in bone formation promotes biotin synthesis

D- essential for bone formation (absorption of Ca

& P)
plays a role in bone mineralization

E- essential for membrane stability

important in the control of DNA formation
natural antioxidant
synthesis and excretion of gonadotrophic
hormones

K- essential for normal blood clotting

B1- co-factor in energy-yielding reactions

important in CHO and protein metabolism

B2- co-factor in metabolism

promotes growth
important in normal visual perception

B6- co-factor in a.a. metabolism

B12-Essential for blood formation