PARASITIC

DISEASES IN
FISH

PRESENTER:
Group 3
WHAT IS PARASITE?

01
originated from the greek word -
'Para' means beside and 'sitos'
means food.

organisms that lives in, on, or another

02 organism and gets food or protection

from or at the expense of its host, often
harming it.
MICROSPORIDIOSIS

● Caused by the species Microsporidia, which

are a group of spore-forming unicellular
parasites belonging to the phylum Microspora
and the order Microsporidia.

● The infection is linked to severe emaciation

(often referred to as ‘skinny disease’)

● Pathological concern of microsporidiosis in

fish is dependent on location and infection
intensity.
MICROSPORIDIOSIS

● Microsporidiosis is an emerging disease in

hosts from aquatic and terrestrial biomes.

● Common species causing microsporidiosis

in fish include Pleistophora hyphessobryconis,
Hetrosporis anguillarum, Kabatana sp.,
Microsporidium sp., and Perezia sp.

● Cases of microsporidiosis have been

reported in the Americas, Asia, Europe.
 CAUSES/EFFECTS

● Infiltrate the central nervous system and

muscles of fish

● Emaciation and skeletal deformities.

● Inflammation, necrosis, and cyst formation.
●Affect the host tissues and form cysts that may
be restricted by the connective tissue of the host.
 PREVENTION
1 2 3 4
Avoiding the Quarantining Maintaining Implementing
use of new fish clean and well- strict
contaminated before filtered water biosecurity
water sources, introducing can help in measures, such
such as them to an reducing the as disinfection
stagnant existing fish load of of equipment
water or water population microsporidia and proper
from unknown spores in the disposal of fish
or potentially environment. mortalities.
contaminated

sources.
 ● a condition characterized by a yellowish,
VELVET DISEASE

dusty aspect on the skin of the fish.

● also known as rust disease or gold-dust

disease.

● The agent of velvet disease is the

dinoflagellate Piscinoodium spp. (Oodinium
pillularis)

● It attacks most types of ornamental fish and

a major cause of mortality of the offspring.
VELVET DISEASE

● Different species of the genus Oodinium

include pillularis, cyprinodontum,
limmeticum, and ocellatum.

● In freshwater fish, the cause is

Piscinoodinium (also known as Oodinium). In
saltwater fish, a related parasite called
Amyloodinium is responsible.
 CAUSES/EFFECTS

● Abrupt changes in water temperature.

● Introduction of plants with cysts
● Introduction of new fish without quarantine.
● Loss of appetite, lethargy, and a tendency for
affected fish to scratch against rocks or other hard
objects.
● Opaque eyes, excessive mucus, fins against the
body, skin detachment, exophthalmia
 PREVENTION
1 2 3
Quarantine new Increasing the Avoid using wet
fish and plants: temperature of the equipment on
water can also help more than one
with treatment tank:
because the
parasite's life cycle
is accelerated
through the heat.

CYRPTOCARYOSIS

● Also known as marine white spot disease

or marine ich.

● It is one of the most common causes of

disease in marine aquaria.
 KINDS & CHARACTERICTICS

● Cryptocaryosis came from a ciliated

protozoan parasite.

● A parasite of gills and skins in fish.

● A typical marine fish parasite
 CAUSES/EFFECTS
● Came from the parasite Cryptocaryon irritans.
● Cryptocaryon may have small white spots, nodules,
or patches on their skin, fins, or gills.
● May also have ragged fins, cloudy eyes, pale gills,
increased mucus production, or changes in skin color,
and they may appear thin.
● They may scratch, swim abnormally and act
lethargic.
● May hang at the surface of water or on the bottom.
● Rapid breathing.
 PREVENTION
1 2 3
Ideally fish with The display Useful treatments
Cryptocaryosis tank needs to of Cryptocaryon
are quarantined be kept clear irritans are copper
in a hospital of fish for 6–9 solutions, formalin
tank, where they weeks. solutions and
can be treated
quinine-based
with a copper drugs (such as
salt or using chloroquine
hyposalinity. phosphate and

quinine
diphosphate).

TRICHODINA

● Parasitic disease that affects aquatic

animals, particularly fish.

KINDS & CHARACTERISTICS

●Trichodinids are round ciliates that may be

disc-shaped or hemispherical
●Characterized by the presence of a ring of
interlocking cytoskeletal denticles.
●Most trichodinids are ectocommensal.
 CAUSES/EFFECTS

● One of the primary causes of trichodina in

aquaculture is eutrophication.
● Fish may isolate themselves with a reduced
amount of feeding.
● Scratching and flashing
● Irritated skin with grayish to white film over their
body.
 PREVENTION

1 2 3
Easily killed Quarantining Keep high quality
when exposed and treating water. In
to copper or any new fish aquaculture, not
formalin. is the key to overcrowding

preventing ponds or tanks is
any necessary.
infestation

COCCIDIOSIS

● A disease caused by coccidian protozoa,

which are microscopic, spore-forming, single-
cell organisms.

● The coccidian protozoa that cause

coccidiosis in fish are obligate intracellular
parasites with a complex life cycle that often
requires multiple hosts.

● They produce resistant oocysts that can

survive for long periods and can cause tissue
damage, particularly in the intestinal tract.
 KINDS

● Eimeria spp., Cryptosporidium spp., Goussia

spp., Isospora spp., and Sarcocystis spp. are
different species of coccidian protozoa that
can cause coccidiosis in fish.

●Diagnosis and treatment may vary

depending on the specific species involved.

●Each species has its own specific

pathogenic effects.
 CAUSES/EFFECTS

● Causes various clinical signs and effects in fish.

● Reduced growth rates, diarrhea, and weight
loss resulting from inflammation and damage to
the intestinal tract.
● Severe infections can lead to increased
mortality, and weakened fish may be more
susceptible to secondary infections.
 PREVENTION
1 2 3
Maintain high Introducing new Infected fish
standards of
water quality
and hygiene,
fish to existing
populations
should be done

should be isolated
and treated
immediately with
regularly clean only after proper antiprotozoal
the fish tanks or quarantine to medications under
ponds, and avoid minimize the the guidance of a
overcrowding or risk of disease veterinarian or fish
overfeeding spread. health specialist.

 ● Small parasitic copepods known as

Ambiphyra attach to the skin or gills of
AMBIPHYROSIS saltwater fish and ingest their blood and
tissues.

● Ambiphyra are considered to be free-living

but have been known to parasitize fish, and
are difficult to detect without a microscope.
 ● Some of the known species of Ambiphyra
include:
KINDS 1. Ambiphyra elongata
2. Ambiphyra collettei
3. Ambiphyra bartschi
4. Ambiphyra bouvieri
5. Ambiphyra chacei

● These species have been found to infect a

variety of marine fish species, including
snappers, groupers, and grunts.
 CAUSES/EFFECTS

● Symptoms of Ambiphyra infestations in fish

can include lethargy, anemia, decreased appetite,
and increased mucus production.
● In severe cases, the gills may become swollen
or discolored, and the fish may have difficulty
breathing.
 PREVENTION
1 2 3
Preserve the Fish should be If fish are discovered
periodically to be ill, a veterinarian
water quality
and cleanliness
of fish habitats
checked for
symptoms of

or fish health expert

should be contacted
in order to avoid illness and for advice on the best
Ambiphyra should be course of action, which
infestations. isolated before may include utilizing
being pharmaceuticals such
introduced to antiparasitic pills.
existing

populations.
 ARGULUS

● More commonly known as fish lice

● Members of a large group of branchiuran
parasites that infest and cause disease in fish.

● It attaches itself to the body of the fish by

means of suckers and hooks but can also swim
freely in water.

● Has a very distinctive oval-shaped, flattened

body formed by a broad carapace.
 KINDS

● Argulus foliaceus - It is "the most common

and widespread native argulid in the
Palaearctic" and "one of the most widespread
crustacean ectoparasites of freshwater fish in
the world”.

● Argulus japonicus - a fish lice species that

was described from Japan in 1900, as a
parasite of Goldfish. This parasite can severely
damage the host's integument and affect its
appetite, sometimes killing it.
 CAUSES/EFFECTS
● Argulus infestations tend to peak in the
summer and fall.

● Hemorrhages, anemia, fin and scale loss,

increased mucus production, lethargy, erratic
swimming, reduced feeding, hanging at the
surface (avoiding swimming in the water) and
poor body condition.

● Fish may "flash" or rub against surfaces to

relieve irritation or to remove the parasites.
 PREVENTION
1 2 3
Biosecurity Incoming fish, Water should be
measures should particularly wild- filtered or
be instituted caught or pond- obtained from a
and followed to raised stock, should fish-free and
minimize be quarantined, Argulus-free
introduction or observed, and source
transmission to sampled to

other ponds, minimize the risk of

systems, or introduction.
facilities. Argulus outbreaks
 LERNAEA

● A genus of copepod crustaceans whose

members are commonly called anchor worms

● Infestations with Lernaea are most prevalent

in the summer months and occur more
commonly in stagnant or slow-moving water
bodies.

● They are quite variable in shape, with the

dorsal pair much larger than the ventral,
divided into two branches, some distance from
their bases.
 KINDS

● Learnaea cyprinacea – is an exceptionally

thermophilic organism that develops only at
high temperatures. Temperatures between 23-
30°C are the most favorable for development.
They are attach to the gills of fish, using their
frontal cement gland.

● Lernaea cruciate - is the only species of

anchor worm in North America that has a
single pair of branched holdfasts.
 CAUSES/EFFECTS

● Frequent rubbing or "flashing"

● Localized redness
● Inflammation on the body of the fish
● Tiny white-green or red worms in wounds
● Breathing difficulties
● General lethargy
 PREVENTION
1 2 3
Potassium Other treatments Manual removal of
permanganate is include a salt dip, a the parasite is one
usually formalin dip, and of the surest ways
considered the modern to get rid of it.

best treatment antiparasitics. Salt

and can be used in the aquarium at 1
either as a tank to 2 tablespoons
treatment or a may help prevent
"dip" secondary
infections
HEXAMITIASIS

● A parasitic disease cause by Hexamita spp.

that can affect both freshwater and saltwater
fish.

● Lesions appear on the head and flanks of

the fish, hence its alternative name: hole in the
head disease.

● Hexamita infections may also be

responsible for head and lateral line erosion
(HLLE) disease in fish.
 KINDS

● Gastrointestinal protozoan parasites that

affect fish include Hexamita, Spironucleus and
Cryptobia, all of which are flagellated
protozoans.

Hexamita: three species reported to affect fish:

- Hexamita salmonis
- Hexamita truttae
- Hexamita intestinalis commonly called "Hex"
 CAUSES/EFFECTS

● Hexamitiasis is caused by various species of the

protozoan parasite genus Hexamita.
●Fish infected with Hexamita commonly
produce white, stringy feces, and their coloration
becomes more subdued than normal.
● The fish eventually lose their appetite and
gradually become emaciated
● Once the parasites become established in the
other internal organs, the fish soon dies.
 PREVENTION

1 2
Make sure your Improve the
tank isn’t aquarium's water
overcrowded quality by doing
regular water
changes - 30 to 50%
a week is
recommended
AMYLOODINIOSIS

● A disease resulting from infestation by the

ectoparasitic dinoflagellate Amyloodinium
ocellatum (AO)

● Amyloodinium is an extracellular parasite

that also has a free-living phase.

● A threat for fish species such as European

sea bass (ESB, Dicentrarchus labrax), which
are farmed in lagoon and land-based rearing
sites.
 CAUSES/EFFECTS

● Injures the animals and promotes secondary

bacterial infections.
●Usually host behavioural changes are the first
amyloodiniosis symptoms, represented by jerky
movements (flashing), pruritus and dyspnoea
with gathering at the water surface.
● Lethargy and anorexia appear in the advanced
stages of the infection.
● Another clinical sign of amyloodiniosis could
be the dusty appearance of the skin.
 PREVENTION

1 2
Disinfecting water
Fish that survive
with ultraviolet (UV)
an
irradiation
amyloodiniosis
or ozone can kill
outbreak can
dinospores and may
became immune
be especially
useful in re-
circulating systems
ICHTHYOPHTHIRIASIS

● Commonly known as ‘’Ich”

● The most devastating protozoan disease of
fish

● The disease in fresh water is caused by

Ichthyophthirius multifiliis and the marine
counterpart is Cryptocaryon irritans

● The life cycle is temperature dependent

with a shorter life cycle occurring at warmer
water temperature.
 CAUSES/EFFECTS

● The classic sign of an “Ich” infection is the

presence of small white spots on the skin or gills.
●usually caused by poor water quality,
overcrowded aquaria, or when a sudden
temperature change occurs.
● It may cause high losses in cultured striped
bass.
● Infected fish become lethargic,listless, gasp at
the surface, and produce copious amounts of
mucus.
 PREVENTION
1 2 3
Treating fish All incoming fish Make sure the fish
after a disease should be tank, aquarium, or
outbreak is in quarantined for at fishpond always
progress. least three days has high-quality
when temperatures water at the right
are temperature.

75 to 83°F.
CHILODONELLIASIS

● a fish disease caused by species of

protozoan genus Chilodonella, mostly free
living, parasitic on fish in cold and warm
waters
● an important parasitic disease of carp
during winter, resulting in great loss to the
pond fisheries
● The agent of the disease is a holotrichous
ciliate of the family Chlamydodontidae,
Chilodonella cyprini, which infect fins and
body surface.
 KINDS

● Chilodonella uncinata - known as

facultatively parasitic ciliate, which can
opportunistically parasitize on fish fins and
gills and sometimes can cause host mortality.

● Chilodonella piscicola - an ectoparasite

common in various fishes.

● Chilodonella hexasticha - an important

species that is parasitic to fish and found on
the body surface, gills and fins of the hosts.
 CAUSES/EFFECTS
● caused by the ciliate protozoan Chilodonella
● occurs due to overcrowding, reduced water
flow and very poor environmental conditions.
● greatly higher production of mucus and
disturbance in the respiratory function of the skin
● heavy breathing, excessive secretion of mucus
that makes the skin of fish cloudy, clamped fins
and loss of appetite
● Infected fish swim unevenly and rub against
pond walls and rocks
● The fish becomes restless and rises to the
upper layers of water.
 PREVENTION
1 2 3
Keep the pH, Regular water Avoid overfeeding
temperature, changes should be because it can lead
and other water done, and clean the to an
parameters tank or pond accumulation of
within the regularly organic matter in
recommended the tank or pond,
and suitable which can increase
range for fish the growth of
species. Chilodonella.

 OUR TEAM

KRISTEL ANN MIRANDA CHERYL LABITAG JHAY-EM MERCADO

LEADER MEMBER MEMBER

ANGELA ONIGO JESSICA OLAIVAR AGNES ANN LUMIHOC

MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER
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