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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stuttgart, Arkansas » Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Cntr » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #317599
Research Project: The Role of Mucosal Surfaces and Microflora in Immunity and Disease Prevention

Location: Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Cntr

Title: Dietary copper effects survival of channel catfish challenged with Flavobacterium columnare

Author
item Farmer, Bradley
item Beck, Benjamin
item MITCHELL, ANDREW - Retired ARS Employee
item Rawles, Steven - Steve
item Straus, David - Dave

Submitted to: Aquaculture Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/11/2016
Publication Date: 3/1/2016
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/5878559
Citation: Farmer, B.D., Beck, B.H., Mitchell, A.J., Rawles, S.D., Straus, D.L. 2016. Dietary copper effects survival of channel catfish challenged with Flavobacterium columnare. Aquaculture Research. 48(4):1751-1758. doi:10.1111/are.13012.

Interpretive Summary: Columnaris disease is an important bacterial disease of channel catfish commercially grown in the US. Copper sulfate (CuSO4) has also been shown to be both therapeutic and prophylactic as a water treatment for columnaris disease. Copper is also an essential diet component in animal feeds and CuSO4 is the form that is typically included in the base diet. This study was conducted to evaluate whether fish feed supplemented with CuSO4 at would affect resistance to columnaris disease. The results indicate that fish fed the copper-supplemented diet for two weeks had a significant increase in resistance to columnaris disease. This increase in resistance was also dose dependent and results indicated up to a 30% increase in survival after two weeks on the supplemented feed. After 4 weeks on the copper-supplemented feed the increase in survival was less than at weeks but still greater than 10% higher survival than fish fed the base diet. No statistical differences were found in growth rate or food conversion ratio.

Technical Abstract: Columnaris disease is one of the most important bacterial diseases of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, commercially grown in the US. Copper sulfate (CuSO4) has also been shown to be both therapeutic and prophylactic as a water treatment for columnaris disease. As copper is an essential dietary component in animal feeds and CuSO4 is typically included in the base diet, a study was conducted to evaluate whether fish feed supplemented with CuSO4 at 0, 40, and 80 mg/kg of diet and fed at a daily rate of 3% body weight would affect resistance to columnaris disease. The results indicate that fish fed the copper-supplemented diet for two weeks had a significant increase in resistance to columnaris disease. This increase in resistance was also dose dependent. The mean percent survival (+/- SEM) for fish fed the base diet (un-supplemented) for two weeks and then challenged was 2.0% +/- 1.1. Fish fed the base plus 40 mg CuSO4/kg had a mean survival of 22.0% +/- 11.0. Fish fed the base plus 80 mg CuSO4/kg had a mean survival of 29.3% +/- 13.4. The mean percent survival for fish fed the base diet for four weeks and then challenged was 28.3 % +/- 9.0. Fish fed the base plus 40 mg CuSO4/kg for four weeks had a mean survival of 12.5 % +/- 6.3. Fish fed the base plus 80 mg CuSO4/kg for four weeks had a mean survival of 40.5 % +/- 8.1. No statistical differences were found in growth rate or food conversion ratio.