Parasitic fauna of farmed freshwater ornamental fish in the northwest of Iran

Ornamental fish farming is globally a key sector of aquaculture. The purpose of this study was to report on the parasitic fauna of ornamental fish from seven farms in the East Azerbaijan province in northwestern Iran. Between November 2020 and February 2021, a total of 600 freshwater ornamental fish of six species, including goldfish (Carassius auratus), angel (Pterophyllum scalare), guppy (Poecilia reticulata), dwarf gourami (Colisa lalia), swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri), and cichlid (Cichlasoma sp.) were collected for parasitological analysis. Six ciliate protozoan species (Trichodina mutabilis, Trichodina nobilis, Trichodina spp., Heteropolaria lwoffi, Ichthyophthrius multifiliis, and Chilodonella spp.), three species of monogenean trematodes (Dactylogyrus dulkeiti, Dactylogyrus spp. and Gyrodactylus spp.), two species of crustacean arthropods (Lernaea cyprinacea and Argulus japonicus), and a nematode (Capillaria spp.) were identified among the examined fish. Parasites were detected in the fish from 5 of 7 farms, with an overall parasitic prevalence in 26.33% (158/600) of the fish. Fish infection rates with protozoans, monogenean trematodes, crustacean arthropods, and nematodes were 16.83, 13.17, 4, and 0.33% respectively. The highest prevalence was found in X. helleri infected with Gyrodactylus spp. and P. scalare infested with Trichodina spp. Moreover, 9/100 and 10/100 of goldfish were infected with A. japonicus and L. cyprinacea, compared to 2/500 and 3/500, respectively, for all other species in combination, which is a statistically significant result (p?<?0.01). Assessment of farmed fish parasitic fauna is important to inhibit the spread of infections, ensure fish production and improve fish health.

     

Inclusion of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pediococcus acidilactici</Emphasis> as probiotic candidate in diets for beluga (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Huso huso</Emphasis>) modifies biochemical parameters and improves immune functions

Administration of probiotic candidates in fish has generally been shown as a useful strategy to improve growth performance, survival, digestive enzyme activity, and gut microbiota. Unfortunately, the sero-immunological responses of different fish to different probiotic candidates are poorly understood. The present study assessed the effect of Pediococcus acidilactici as a probiotic on the biochemical and immunological parameters of beluga. Fish (248.32?±?10.21 g) were fed a control diet (without P. acidilactici( and three different doses of P. acidilactici-supplemented diets (10⁷, 10⁸, and 10⁹ CFUg^?1 diets) for 8 weeks. On week 8, blood and serum were sampled. Dose-dependent increase of immunological parameters (respiratory burst activity, lysozyme content, serum antibacterial activity, and total immunoglobulin) and biochemical parameters (total protein and albumin levels) was observed. However, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were significantly increased in the juvenile beluga fed by 10⁹ CFUg^?1 P. acidilactici-supplemented diet compared to the other groups. Based on the results of this evaluation, it is reasonable to conclude that the inclusion of P. acidilactici as probiotic in diets for juvenile beluga improves the sero-immunological parameters of the fish and should be considered by farmers as a strategy to improve fish health.