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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #365689
Research Project: Health Management, Disease Prevention and Control Strategies in Catfish Aquaculture

Location: Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit

Title: Encapsulation of Bolbophorus damnificus (Digenea: Bolbophoridae) Metacercariae in juvenile channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is linked to delayed-onset mortality

Author
item GRIFFIN, MATTHEW - Mississippi State University
item KHOO, LESTER - Mississippi State University
item REICHLEY, STEPHEN - Clear Springs Foods, Inc
item WARE, CYNTHIA - Mississippi State University
item ROSSER, GRAHAM - Mississippi State University
item ALBERSON, NEELY - Mississippi State University
item WOODYARD, ETHAN - Mississippi State University
item POTE, LINDA - Mississippi State University
item GREENWAY, TERRANCE - Mississippi State University
item TIWARI, AMBIKA - Mississippi State University
item MISCHKE, CHARLES - Mississippi State University
item WISE, DAVID - Mississippi State University

Submitted to: Journal of the World Aquaculture Society
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/17/2017
Publication Date: 6/1/2018
Citation: Griffin, M., Khoo, L., Reichley, S., Ware, C., Rosser, G., Alberson, N., Woodyard, E., Pote, L., Greenway, T., Tiwari, A., Mischke, C., Wise, D. 2018. Encapsulation of Bolbophorus damnificus (Digenea: Bolbophoridae) Metacercariae in juvenile channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is linked to delayed-onset mortality. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society. 49(3):601-611.

Interpretive Summary: Bolbophorus damnificus (Digenea: Bolbophoridae) causes significant economic losses in catfish aquaculture in the southeastern USA. To determine mortality trends associated with B. damnificus exposure, three separate disease challenges were conducted. Observed mortality coincided with parasite encapsulation, neovascularization, and development of the host-derived cyst, suggesting that morbidity and mortality associated with B. damnificus in farm-raised catfish are linked to host pathophysiological changes in response to metacercariae encapsulation.

Technical Abstract: Bolbophorus damnificus( Digenea: Bolbophoridae) causes significant economic losses in catfish aquaculture in the southeastern USA. To determine mortality trends associated with B. damnificus exposure, three separate disease challenges were conducted. The first challenge exposed channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus fingerlings (7–13 cm) to approximately 285 B. damnificus cercariae/L, while the second exposed fish to approximately 215 cercaria/L. Fish were monitored for morbidity and mortality for 28 d. In both studies, mortality first occurred 8 d post-challenge (PC) and peaked at 9 and 10 d PC, respectively. Mortality had subsided by 14 d PC, with only sporadic mortality occurring>15 d PC. Dead and moribund fish presented with lesions consistent with B. damnificus infection. A third challenge was performed to record histological changes associated with parasite development from initial exposure up to the cessation of mortality. Catfish (2–5 cm) were exposed as described above to a range covering 0, 35, 70, 100, 150, 175, and 215 cercariae/L. Each day, two fish were sampled from each treatment. Mortality trends were consistent with previous challenges. The mortality window coincided with parasite encapsulation, neovascularization, and development of the host-derived cyst, suggesting that morbidity and mortality are linked to host pathophysiological changes in response to metacercariae encapsulation.