TOPIC 1:

TYPES OF FISH DISEASES

FISH STRESSORS
INTRODUCTION TO PARASITES

FMA1001
FISH DISEASES
 LEARNING OUTCOMES

List and identify fish stressors

At the end of Understand the impacts of fish

this lecture, stressors
students
should be Explain the mechanism of defence in
able to: fish against infection

List and describe types of parasites

hosts
TYPES OF FISH DISEASES
• Contagious
• Caused by pathogenic organisms
INFECTIOUS

TWO
broad
categories

NON-
INFECTIOUS • Not contagious
• Caused by environmental problems,
nutritional deficiencies or genetic
 INFECTIOUS

PARASITIC MICROORGANISMS

• Bacteria
Protozoan or
• Fungi
metazoan
• Virus
 TRANSMISSION
VERTICAL

• Pathogens are transmitted from one

or both parents to offspring

HORIZONTAL

https://scicomstation.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/cichlid-surrounded-by-babies.jpg

• Pathogens are transmitted from one

individual to another individual
through direct contact, air or water
After exposure to a pathogen, development and severity of a disease involves
many variables such as:

Virulence of
the disease

Immune
Stress
system

Population
Genetic
Density
Physiological
conditions of
the host
Virulence = the ability to cause a disease
 STRESS IN FISH

STRESS

STRESS IN
FISH:
IMPAIRED
HEALTH

DISEASE

http://stressfish.com/images/stressfish-cool.jpg
 • Stress in fish can be categorized as acute, chronic,
STRESS IN FISH severe or mild
• Fish response towards stress can be divided into
three levels which are primary, secondary and
tertiary:

SECONDARY • Extends from

• Release of stress
cellular towards the
hormones
whole body
(corticosteroids and • Effects of hormones
catecholamine into at cellular level • Restrains immune
the bloodstream) response,
• include reproduction,
mobilization and growth and ability
reallocation of to tolerate further
energy, increases in stressors
PRIMARY cardiac output and
oxygen uptake
TERTIARY
 STRES-RELATED HORMONES • Associated with more
immediate reactions to
• Usually associated with stress
chronic stress condition as the • Release into the
fish try to adapt bloodstream may
• Is released in response to all cause increase cardiac
stressors and the effect output, blood sugar,
became greater if the stress Epinephrine oxygen uptake,
condition continues respiration and blood
• Common conditions that may flow to the gills
lead to chronic stress
condition include poor water Cortisol
quality, unsuitable
temperatures and toxins
Hormones

Note: Cortisol is a predominant corticosteroid hormone

meanwhile epinephrine is a predominant catecholamine
hormone)
 TYPES OF STRESSORS

ENVIRONMENTAL: SOCIAL :
• Temperature • Competition
• Salinity • Crowding
• Ammonia • Aggressiveness
• Dissolved oxygen
• pH

PHYSICAL:
• Cleaning
• Grading
• Handling
• Crowding
• Confinement
 TEMPERATURE Acidity
• Drastic changes in • Optimum pH = 6.0-9.0
temperature • pH<5.5 or >9.5 will cause stress
• pH<4 or >11 is lethal

LIGHT
• Exposure of fish
embryo and fry to
direct sunlight, UV
light
Metabolic waste
• NH3 >0.02 mg/l will cause chronic
condition and >0.05 mg/l is acute

Heavy metal
DISSOLVED OXYGEN • Soluble Zn or Cu >0.05 mg/l will
• Low concentration of cause stress and >0.1 mg/l is
dissolved oxygen toxic
 POPULATION DENSITY

• Low density will create hierarchy

• High density will increase
metabolic waste

CONFINEMENT

• Larger/older fish and fish which

are less accustomed to
confinement will be affected if
moved to confine spaces
 EFFECTS OF STRESS ON FISH

Energy reserves will be depleted Hormone imbalance occur

Fish may be able to adapt
to stress for a period of
time in which they will
show normal behaviour

Increase susceptibility to
Suppressed immune system
infectious diseases
 DEFENCE AGAINST INFECTION

MUCUS INFLAMMATION

*physical and chemical barrier *natural immune response

towards foreign protein
*aiding in movement
*characterized by swelling and
redness

DEFENSE

SCALES & SKIN ANTIBODIES

*physical defence against
injuries
*damage can increase
susceptibility towards infection
*specific cell reactions towards
intrusion of pathogens and the
cell build its own defence
 MUCUS
Mucus or slime layer is the first layer that inhibits entry of
pathogens from the environment into the fish

Mucus also act as chemical barrier in which the mucus contain

enzymes and antibodies which can kill invading disease
organisms

Mucus also aid in fish movement since the mucus lubricates the
fish

Removal or damages of the mucus layer due to handling will

reduce its effectiveness as a barrier against infection

The damage also led to excessive uptake of water by freshwater

fish and dehydration by marine fishes
 INFLAMMATION
• Inflammation, a natural immune
system by the body cells towards
foreign protein such as bacteria,
virus or parasites is a protective
response to destroy the invader

• Inflammation is portrayed as
swelling, redness or loss of function

• Inflammation triggers pain receptors

in the area, which is of benefit
because the process brings large
quantities of oxygen, nutrients and
cells necessary for the repair process
 SCALES & SKIN
• Scales and skin act as physical defence towards
injury
• Injury can be due to handling, fighting or rough
surfaces of tanks/cages/substrates
• Damage to scales and skin may increase the
vulnerability to infections
• Pathogens usually gain initial entrance to the fish’s
body through damaged areas of the skin
 ANTIBODIES

• Antibodies are compound formed by the

body to encounter foreign proteins or
organisms

• The first exposure will result in

formation of antibodies to fight any
future infections

• Fish at early age (fry, fingerling) may not

have effective immune system as
compared to mature fish so they are
more susceptible to infections
 INTRODUCTION TO PARASITES

• Parasitism is a type of relationship between organisms of different species in

which the parasite benefits at the expense of the host
• Parasites can basically be divided into two categories which are:

ECTOPARASITES ENDOPARASITES
 INTRODUCTION TO PARASITES

TYPES OF HOST

DEFINITIVE HOST:
• Host in which the parasite reaches maturity and undergo sexual reproduction
• Also known as primary host

INTERMEDIATE HOST:
• Host which are required for the development of parasite, but the parasite did not reach sexual maturity in the
host
• Also known as secondary host

PARATENIC HOST:
• A host in which a parasite survives without undergoing further development
• A paratenic host accumulates and maintains stages of a parasite and although beneficial, is not essential to
the life cycle
• Also known as transport host
 INTRODUCTION TO PARASITES

TYPES OF HOST

DEFINITIVE HOST:
• Host in which the parasite reaches maturity and undergo sexual reproduction
• Also known as primary host

INTERMEDIATE HOST:
• Host which are required for the development of parasite, but the parasite did not reach sexual maturity in the
host
• Also known as secondary host

PARATENIC HOST:
• A host in which a parasite survives without undergoing further development
• A paratenic host accumulates and maintains stages of a parasite and although beneficial, is not essential to
the life cycle
• Also known as transport host
 INTRODUCTION TO PARASITES

TYPES OF HOST

DEFINITIVE HOST:
• Host in which the parasite reaches maturity and undergo sexual reproduction
• Also known as primary host

INTERMEDIATE HOST:
• Host which are required for the development of parasite, but the parasite did not reach sexual maturity in the
host
• Also known as secondary host

PARATENIC HOST:
• A host in which a parasite survives without undergoing further development
• A paratenic host accumulates and maintains stages of a parasite and although beneficial, is not essential to
the life cycle
• Also known as transport host
 INTRODUCTION TO PARASITES

TRANSMISSION

LIFE CYCLE

MULTIPLY HOST

…more on parasites in the future topics

QUESTIONS?