Re: Swimbladder problem
#10
There was some research done prior to 2006 specifically on myxo by cambridge university , it involved some screening of aquarium and farmed species and a lot of hobby species tested positive for infection especially in the danio groups, but I cant think of the name of the paper now.
Florida did a similar research and its also known to hit marines like sculpins , and damselfish. Its not what you'd call widely occurring in marine beyond the salmonid family, because of the parasites host stage needs, it would be common in fish like cut-throat trout because of their predaroy preferences, but its more a disease of the breeder facility where cross transmission due to feeding practises occur, but theres more than one strain of the parasite too, though symptomology is similar.
So much so that some govt organisations have guidelines on the matter. If you google vertabrae deformity in danio species and also in guppies you'll hit quite a few results. Could even be that lab animals got to the hobby having been deliberately infected at some stage (danio rerio is your classic lab rat of a fish).The usage of cheap fish meals could also increase transmission to hobby species, primarily because it can circumvent the parasites indirect lifecycle. The parasite is only host specific because of the food chain, there is not however a biological barrier that prevents its spread to other species. Pretty much seems to be the case, that give or take a touch of resistance (most loaches seem almost completely immune)it can affect most species. I was personally witness to a microbiology report on a rainbowfish a few years back where it was confirmed, and australia is dead hot on trying to keep it under control with feed regulations. I think even defra know about this one.
I think its more of a case of investigation serving financial need than what range of species it effects, the salmonids are the commercial drive for research, whereas the hobby imperative for investment is limited.Wouldnt be suprised if more than 99% of cases go unreported.
Its a bit like badgers getting the blame for TB in the uk and persecuted for it, when a lot of small mammals, hedgehogs, deer etc can transmit to livestock. Narrow focus issue. Same with hexamitiasis, people see it as a cichlid disease, but it infects just as many goldfish. Its a bit like metacarcaria in snails, people think only snail eaters get it, you'd expect puffers to go down with it, but wouldt assume a tetra or guppy would, but crush a snail and let your guppies eat it, they get it. We as keepers transgress boundaries, and thats what we get.
I mean who expected to see fish with aflatoxis, why are aeromonads and pseudomonads as common as they are- its the aquarium substrate environment and mixed continental stocking, why is whitespot so common because we keep fish at density and rarely QT. IPNV has spread beyond basic labyrinth fish because of feeder culture. Almost every species has a hexamitiasis risk (though mortality rates vary widely between species)because cichlids and some rift cats are more mainstream and because of goldfish used as feeders. Mycobacteria is more common than ever because of imported bettas and linked shop systems that have no qt and are never given rest periods or decor cleaned regularly enough, they may house it for decades unchallenged. Its what we do, as keepers and especially as breeders on a budget, especially out east in vast facilities where QT is a joke and foodstuffs are whatever is cheapest, we transgress boundaries of infection.
The future of disease awareness will involve many more such incidences, and we have to get faster at spotting the potential. More farmed fish, more bred fish, more fish on linked systems, cheap feeds, feeder culture, not taking advantage of natural barriers or violating them. These are our tomorrows.
Think about the kuhli loach, why did it fall from favour? It was the one loach that wasnt immune, and live tubifex sourced from god knows where was the big thing 10 years ago. We wiped em out in the hobby