ARS | Publication request: THE USE OF AN N-HALAMINE DISINFECTANT TO PREVENT AND TREAT FUNGUS ON EGGS OF CHANNEL CATFISH (ICTALURUS PUNCTATUS)

Submitted to: Aquaculture Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: January 31, 2004
Publication Date: March 1, 2004
Citation: DELANEY, M.A., KLESIUS, P.H., WORLEY, S.D. THE USE OF AN N-HALAMINE DISINFECTANT TO PREVENT AND TREAT FUNGUS ON EGGS OF CHANNEL CATFISH (ICTALURUS PUNCTATUS). AQUACULTURE CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS. 2004.

Technical Abstract: Fish eggs incubated in high density culture conditions are susceptible to infection by aquatic fungi (Saprolegniacae). These fungi are ubiquitous in water supplies and rapidly spread from infected to non-infected eggs and can cause serious losses to the aquaculturalist. A series of experiments was conducted to examine the effectiveness of an N-halamine disinfectant {1-chloro-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-4-imidazolidinone (MC)}to prevent and treat fungal infections of channel catfish eggs. Formalin, a widely used treatment for fungal infections, was used for comparison. Four replications of non-eyed eggs were treated at 127, 254, 509, 1018 mg/L MC (corresponding to 25, 50, 100, 200 mg/L total chlorine) or formalin at the rate of 1000 µL/L for 15 minutes daily up to hatch. For all MC treatments the mean percent hatch was (83, 58, 88, 72%, respectively), higher than in the untreated controls (51%). The formalin treatment mean percent hatch was lower (28%). In the second study, four replications of non-eyed eggs were treated at 64, 127, 254, 509 mg/L MC (corresponding to 12.5, 25, 50, 100 mg/L total chlorine) or formalin at the rate of 1000 µL/L for a one-time treatment of 30 min. For all MC treatments the mean percent hatch (74, 56, 75, 51%, respectively) was greater than in the untreated controls (47%). The formalin treatment mean percent hatch rate was lower (27%). In both experiments MC treatments increased the hatching of channel catfish eggs. This suggests that the existing Investigational New Animal Drug Permit in place for using MC on channel catfish to control protozoan and bacterial pathogens in ponds and raceways could be expanded to include the control of fungus on eggs.