DISEASES OF CULTURED POMPANO Trachinotus spp.
Various species of pompano have been cultured since the 1970s in different types of facilities including earthen ponds, lined ponds, silos, raceways, closed recirculating systems, net-pens and sea-cages at various salinities and temperatures. In research settings the fish may be cultured in small closed recirculating or flow-through tank systems and/or aquaria. In many cases, diseases have become a limiting factor in commercial production and in successful initiation or completion of research projects. A few examples will be given in this presentation including disease problems encountered with Florida pompano Trachinotus carolinus in the U.S. and Asian goldenfin pompano Trachinotus blochii in China.
Some of the more common problems involve colonization of the skin and gills by ectocommensal protozoa. The organisms identified in this category as Trichodina, Trichodinella, Paratrichodina, Ambiphrya, and Cryptobia colonize the gill to the degree that respiratory impairment occurs and feeding rates and growth rates decline and in some cases skin damage can result. Periodic treatment of these organisms is necessary to maintain proper growth rates. Obligate protozoan parasites such as Cryptocaryon irritans, Amyloodinium ocellatum, and Brooklynella sp. may be more pathogenic and require multiple treatments due to their more complex life cycle. Other parasites of note include the trematodes Gyrodactylus, Neobenedenia, and Bicotylophora. Pompano juveniles collected from the wild and used for laboratory experiments or grow out should be held in quarantine for a period of time prior to stocking to allow for eradication of parasites.
Pompano may become diseased with a number of different bacterial organisms and are not susceptible to one particular group. The most notable acute bacterial diseases of pompano are caused by Streptococcus agalactiae, S. iniae, Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio spp., and Photobacterium damselae. Chronic infections are caused by Nocardia seriolae and Mycobacterium marinum. Most of the bacterial diseases of pompano are considered opportunistic and do not cause problems unless the fish become stressed. In China water quality in offshore cage locations is superior to inshore areas where the chance of disease transmission is higher. Parasitic infestation may make fish more susceptible to bacterial disease in these situations as well. Pompano in sea cages become more prone to chronic bacterial disease in the fall when water temperatures decline. Viral diseases caused by betanodaviruses are problematic in juvenile pompano in inshore rearing sites.
Some of the more common problems involve colonization of the skin and gills by ectocommensal protozoa. The organisms identified in this category as Trichodina, Trichodinella, Paratrichodina, Ambiphrya, and Cryptobia colonize the gill to the degree that respiratory impairment occurs and feeding rates and growth rates decline and in some cases skin damage can result. Periodic treatment of these organisms is necessary to maintain proper growth rates. Obligate protozoan parasites such as Cryptocaryon irritans, Amyloodinium ocellatum, and Brooklynella sp. may be more pathogenic and require multiple treatments due to their more complex life cycle. Other parasites of note include the trematodes Gyrodactylus, Neobenedenia, and Bicotylophora. Pompano juveniles collected from the wild and used for laboratory experiments or grow out should be held in quarantine for a period of time prior to stocking to allow for eradication of parasites.
Pompano may become diseased with a number of different bacterial organisms and are not susceptible to one particular group. The most notable acute bacterial diseases of pompano are caused by Streptococcus agalactiae, S. iniae, Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio spp., and Photobacterium damselae. Chronic infections are caused by Nocardia seriolae and Mycobacterium marinum. Most of the bacterial diseases of pompano are considered opportunistic and do not cause problems unless the fish become stressed. In China water quality in offshore cage locations is superior to inshore areas where the chance of disease transmission is higher. Parasitic infestation may make fish more susceptible to bacterial disease in these situations as well. Pompano in sea cages become more prone to chronic bacterial disease in the fall when water temperatures decline. Viral diseases caused by betanodaviruses are problematic in juvenile pompano in inshore rearing sites.