Treatments for ectoparasites and diseases in captive Western Australian dhufish

The Western Australian dhufish (Glaucosoma hebraicum), an open-water marine finfish, has been identified as a potential species for aquaculture and a 4 y research project has concentrated on broodstock collection and maintenance, spawning and larval rearing. This paper describes treatments which were developed for the ectoparasites and diseases of broodstock fish. These included bacterial and fungal infections, Cryptocaryon irritans, Haliotremasp., an unidentified axinid monogenean, the isopod Aega cyclops and copepod Caligus sp. Treatments based on betadine, formalin, freshwater, malachite green, oxytetracycline (terramycin), 2-phenoxyethanol, potassium permanganate and trichlorphon (neguvon) were all tried. The most effective treatments against parasites were a freshwater bath or a combined freshwater bath and anaesthesia with 2-phenoxyethanol. Monogeneans on the gills were difficult to control and exophthalmia was an unresolved problem.