Assignment: Analyze and answer the questions below. The assignment is by pair.

Theoretical Case

A farm operator cultures snubnose pompano (Trachinotus blochii) in a 2x4x2 m

rectangular steel cage located in a cove. The fish is fed twice a daily and weighted every two
weeks to monitor their average body weight (ABW). The fish were observed to be swimming
erratically and rubbing their body against the net of the cages. There is loss of appetite
observed resulting to a stunted growth. Skins have ulceration and hemorrhages while
producing excess mucus. In some cases, fish exhibit exophthalmia or bulging of the eyes that
hinders the feeding of the fish and eventually leads to mortality.

Questions
1. What will be your initial steps in diagnosis?
Make an observation, based on the case, we can observe in their physical symptoms
their stunted growth, ulceration of skin, and hemorrhage with excess mucus and bulging
of eyes. In terms of behavior, we observed their swimming erratically, and rubbing their
body against the net and loss of appetite . These observations on the behavior and
appearance of the fish must be recorded.
2. What can be your tentative diagnosis?
Fish may possess external parasites in their skin and eyes resulting in the ulceration of
skin and hemorrhage with excess mucus. They also refuse to eat feeds because they are
not comfortable since their mind is focused on the itch they feel, since they have no
hands they scratch their skin to the cage and they swim erratically. This must be causing
stress to the fish, that is why they refuse to eat, and a certain change in behavior is
observed.
3. Based on your observation and diagnosis, what is the possible disease of the snubnose
pompano, what is the causative agent and type, what are its symptoms and measures
need to apply.
Snubnose pompano may have Neobenedenia girellae infection which is caused by the
skin flukes parasites in their skin and eyes. The symptoms are the following: stunted
growth, ulceration of skin, hemorrhage with excess mucus and bulging eyes, swimming
erratically, rubbing their body against the net and loss of appetite.
The Measures need to apply are the following:
Remove the dead fish from the cage.
Isolate the fish with symptoms of disease and bring some samples to the laboratory for
further study.
The remaining fish in cage will be in quarantine for frequent observation and monitoring
4. Give your conclusion and recommendations
Based on the related case we gather by the Department of Marine Bioscience,
Gangneung-Wonju National University *Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea
Skin flukes is one of the parasites that occur to snubnose pompano that has the similar
symptoms.They found skin flukes in snubnose pompano (Trachinotus blochii) from a
public aquarium and attempted clear identification of the species level by morphology
and molecular analyses. Skin flukes were collected from snubnose pompano showing
dyspnea, anorexia and mild hemorrhage on the skin. All the fish samples were infected
with the flukes on the skin, gill and eyes, covered with excessive mucus.
If after the laboratory test from the sample we got on initial step, a skin fluke is
identified, then our recommendation to transfer the fish in a fish tank where regular
water change is possible so fish will have good quality water and we can also add
salinity the water to eliminate the parasites.