We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
Interactions between Cage-Cultured Hybrid Tilapia and a Marine Monogenean, Neobenedenia melleni, in Jamaica.
- Authors
Robinson, Ralph D.; O'Connor, Nicola P. G.
- Abstract
Interactions between caged hybrid tilapia Oreochromis aureus X O. mossambicus and Neobenedenia melleni, a marine monogenean, were examined in coastal waters off Jamaica. Tilapia fingerlings were maintained in mesh cages (30 fish per 0.75 m³) from September 2004 to August 2005. Infection prevalence and mean intensity were recorded every 4-5 weeks after freshwater dipping of infected fish and physical dislodgement of the parasites. Surviving fish were retumed to a seawater cage, allowing reinfection with N. melleni. The prevalence of infection initially peaked (89.3%; n =28) at 12 weeks' exposure and fell to 14.3% (n =7) in week 20; by week 29, all 5 of the fish that had survived were infected. The mean intensity of infection followed a similar profile, peaking at 12 weeks' exposure, dipping in week 20, and rising thereafter (Pearson r = 0.841; P = 0.002). Differential blood cell counts showed no significant differences between infected and uninfected fish, nor was there evidence of a humoral response in a radial diffusion assay. However, mucus from caged fish that had been exposed for 9-15 weeks killed approximately 100% of the N. melleni in 3 h. Maricultured red tilapia are highly susceptible to infection with N. melleni and appear to develop temporary, largely innate resistance to the parasite.
- Subjects
JAMAICA; TILAPIA; FISH breeding; BLOOD cells; ANIMAL diseases; PARASITES
- Publication
North American Journal of Aquaculture, 2008, Vol 70, Issue 1, p3
- ISSN
1522-2055
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1577/A06-037.1