Communications: Clearance of Amyloodinium ocellatum Dinospores by Artemia salina

Abstract

The potential for using nauplii of brine shrimp Artemia salina to remove the dinoflagellate Amyloodinium ocellatum from aquaculture systems for red drum Sciaenops ocellatus was investigated. Dinospores of A. ocellatum were dispensed in cell culture plates at a concentration of approximately 10,000/mL and were exposed to brine shrimp nauplii at concentrations of l, 2, 4, or 8 nauplii/mL over a 24-h period. 1n the presence of 8 nauplii/mL, dinospores were eliminated in 8 h. In another study, 300,000 dinospores were placed in 3 L of saltwater in two tanks, and l,000 nauplii were added to one tank. After 12 h, three 202-g red drums were placed in both tanks for an additional 12-h-exposure period, after which the fish were euthanized and the trophont load on gill filaments was assessed. Fish from the tank with brine shrimp nauplii had 65% fewer trophonts on their gills than those from the nontreated tank (10.75 versus 3.75 trophonts/filament). These data and the observation that dinospore remains could be observed in naupliar fecal casts suggest the potential value of brine shrimp as a bioremediation measure for this serious gill parasite.