In light of the killer koi herpesvirus sweeping the globe, and even though it is not yet here in Australia, every fish keeper should be practicing good biosecurity measures.Simple soap and detergent doesn’t always cover everything and this is why Dr Richmond Loh, The Fish Vet, uses Virkon to clean and disinfect all his equipment between site visits. This is all part of the behind the scenes service for his clients, even before he reaches your door step.
See how it works – http://youtu.be/7Mq-Och-Q80
International veterinary guidelines for the transport of live fish or fish eggs
International veterinary guidelines for the transport of live fish
or 
fish eggs
or fish eggsP. de Kinkelin 
, R.P. Hedrick
| Laboratoire d’ichtyopathologie, Virologie et Immunologie Moleculaire, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 78352 Jouy-en-Josas Cedex, France |
| Department of Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California 95616 USA |
Available online 22 September 2003.
Abstract
There are two existing codes of practice and one draft proposal with guidelines for the transport of live fish and fish eggs. They provide information for national policies and a level of international standardization. Their efficacy depends, first on implementation by the national official services which tends to restrict fish movements, and second, on acceptance of these guidelines by those involved in the production and utilization of fish. Thus, a critical balance between theory and reality must be achieved if the goals of such international codes are to be realized.
Keywords: Fish; Pathogens; Control; Policies; Guidelines; Transfer
View full article here:
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Follow me on: Facebook “Fin Page” – YouTube – Blog – Linkedin – Twitter
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Yours sincerely,
Dr Richmond Loh
BSc, BVMS, MPhil (Vet Path), MANZCVS (Aquatics), MANZCVS (Pathobiology), DipPM.
Veterinarian | Adjunct Senior Lecturer Murdoch University | WAVMA Communications Committee Member |
Secretary Aquatic Animal Health Chapter – Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (ANZCVS)
The Fish Vet, Perth, Western Australia, AUSTRALIA. Mobile Veterinary Service for fish and other aquatic creatures.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383
New York Aquarium, the havoc caused by Hurricane Sandy.
From Dr Rob Ossiboff via facebook:
For those of you who are not aware, the New York Aquarium experienced tremendous damage from Hurricane Sandy. The grounds were inundated by the storm surge and backup from sewer drains. Aquarium staff have been working around the clock in a
n effort to save the inhabitants. Staff are working on restoring life support systems and have restored power to two exhibits. Water is still being pumped out of areas that house crucial operating systems. Many of the inhabitants weathered the initial floods, but the situation is still precarious. There is a desperate need to replace many of the operating systems for the tanks. Images of the damage can be seen here: http://news.mongabay.com/2012/1102-ny-aquarium-photos-post-sandy.html [Dr Richmond Loh adds,”Very different from when I was last there in June, see pics here http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.378634905518798.82565.188036301245327&type=1&l=9440921838] I realize that there are many in need of help currently in the city and New Jersey, and there are many people desperately in need of supplies. But as I know many of my FB friends are animal lovers and animal health professionals, I wanted to reach out to you. If you are interested and able to contribute, please visit https://secure3.convio.net/wcs/site/Donation2?idb=1272578557&df_id=5341&5341.donation=form1 Donations are tax deductible. Please feel free to share.
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Could the humble oyster have prevented NY’s hurricane Sandy?
Impacts of coral bleaching. It’s not as bad as we think?
We learnt a little about coral bleaching at the AquaVet II course during June this year. It’s not an unnatural phenomenon, and the coral are simply swapping the algae that lives within them with a different type to survive an environmental change. But sometimes this doesn’t happen as planned, perhaps because the right replacement algae doesn’t come along at the right time? Without their symbiotic algae, the coral polyps may eventually starve to death, leaving behind bare coral skeletons. Much research on the mechanisms of bleaching and recovery is being done.
But is coral bleaching as bad as we think? This study reports findings that are quite the contrary.
I’m interested to hear your thoughts.
Coral bleaching and habitat effects on colonisation of reef fish assemblages: An experimental study
assemblages: An experimental studySaleh A.S. Yahyaa, b, Martin Gullströma, c, d, , 
, Marcus C. Öhmana, Narriman S. Jiddawib, Mathias H. Anderssona, Yunus D. Mgayae, Ulf Lindahlf
| a | Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden |
| b | Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 668, Zanzibar, Tanzania |
| c | Department of Systems Ecology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden |
| d | Department of Marine Ecology – Kristineberg, University of Gothenburg, SE-S-451 78 Fiskebäckskil, Sweden |
| e | Department of Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 60091, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
| f | Blekinge County Administration, SE-371 86 Karlskrona, Sweden |
Received 30 August 2010; Accepted 25 April 2011. Available online 23 May 2011.
Abstract
Degradation and mortality of corals is increasing worldwide and is expected to have significant effects on coral reef fish; hence studies on these effects are essential. In the present study, a field experiment was set up within Mafia Island Marine Park in Tanzania (East Africa) to examine the effects of bleaching and habitat structure on colonisation of coral reef fish assemblages. Live and bleached staghorn coral Acropora formosa was transplanted onto plots in a site dominated by sand and rubble, and the experimental design comprised of three treatments: live coral, bleached coral and eroded coral rubble. There was an immediate increase (within 24 h) in fishabundance and diversity in the two treatments with standing corals. Overall, live and bleached coral plots showed similar effects, but differed from the eroded coral plots which had a much lower abundance and diversity of fish. In general, fish species diversity changed with time over the study period while fish abundance did not. Multivariate analyses showed that while there were differences in fish assemblage structure between standing corals and the eroded coral treatment, there was neither a difference between live and bleached coral treatments nor any temporal effects on fish assemblage structure. Our findings suggest that physical structure and complexity of habitat have stronger effects on colonisation of reef fish assemblages than changes in coral health (such as bleaching) which do not affect coral structure. This may have important implications for appropriate coral reef management.
Highlights
► We studied effects of coral bleaching and degradation on reef fish assemblages. ► Fish abundance and diversity were lower in eroded plots compared with standing corals. ► Fish species diversity showed temporal alterations, while fish abundance did not. ► Habitat complexity affected colonisation of reef fish. ► Coral health (bleaching) showed minor effects on colonisation of reef fish.
Keywords: coral reefs; fish communities; habitat degradation; disturbance; field experiment; resilience
View full article here:
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Yours sincerely,
Dr Richmond Loh
BSc, BVMS, MPhil (Vet Path), MANZCVS (Aquatics), MANZCVS (Pathobiology), DipPM.
Veterinarian | Adjunct Senior Lecturer Murdoch University | WAVMA Communications Committee Member |
Secretary Aquatic Animal Health Chapter – Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (ANZCVS)
The Fish Vet, Perth, Western Australia, AUSTRALIA. Mobile Veterinary Service for fish and other aquatic creatures.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383
Fish Vetting Medicines – Formulary of Fish Treatments – oxytetracycline.
An updated page is attached for your reference.
Note that all treatments are NOT listed as a recommendation for use in food fish. In Australia, only the APVMA permits or registered products can be used on food fish. Dr Richmond Loh, The Fish Vet, gives no warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information. Sole responsibility and risk associated with the use of the information, irrespective of the purpose
to which that use is applied, is accepted by the user.
An eSample copy of the book is available by clicking this link.
Three simple steps to treat fish ulcers.
Following my recent presentation to the local Koi Club on the causes and treatment of koi ulcers, I’ve decided to upload the short movie, demonstrating the treatment of uncomplicated fish ulcers.
Check it out on my
YouTube channel – http://youtu.be/GHJtZRrx8IU
Also, there were several people interested in getting their hands on the special powder gel and so I’m making it available for everyone to purchase at a low price of $56.95 plus P&H.
It’s not loaded the product on my site’s shopping cart yet, but you can use the contact form to place your order right away.
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Yours sincerely,
Dr Richmond Loh
BSc BVMS MPhil MANZCVS (Aq & Pathol)
The Fish Vet, Perth, Western Australia.
Veterinary Medicine for fish.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383
Living off a fish: A trade-off between parasites and the immune system.
Living off a fish: A trade-off between parasites and the immune system
: A trade-off between parasites and the immune systemA. Sitjà-Bobadilla ,
| Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre de la Sal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Torre de la Sal s/n, 12595 Ribera de Cabanes, Castellón, Spain |
Received 22 October 2007; revised 14 March 2008; Accepted 27 March 2008. Available online 4 April 2008.
Abstract
Research in fish immune system and parasite invasion mechanisms has advanced the knowledge of the mechanisms whereby parasites evade or cope with fish immune response. The main mechanisms of immune evasion employed by fish parasites are reviewed and considered under ten headings. 1) Parasite isolation: parasites develop in immuno-privileged host tissues, such as brain, gonads, or eyes, where host barriers prevent or limit the immune response. 2) Host isolation: the host cellular immune response isolates and encapsulates the parasites in a dormant stage without killing them. 3) Intracellular disguise: typical of intracellular microsporidians, coccidians and some myxosporeans. 4) Parasite migration, behavioural and environmental strategies: parasites migrate to host sites the immune response has not yet reached or where it is not strong enough to kill them, or they accommodate their life cycles to the season or the age in which the host immune system is down-regulated. 5) Antigen-based strategies such as mimicry or masking, variation and sharing of parasite antigens. 6) Anti-immune mechanisms: these allow parasites to resist innate humoral factors, to neutralize host antibodies or to scavenge reactive oxygen species within macrophages. 7) Immunodepression: parasites either suppress the fish immune systems by reducing the proliferative capacity of lymphocytes or the phagocytic activity of macrophages, or they induce apoptosis of host leucocytes. 8) Immunomodulation: parasites secrete or excrete substances which modulate the secretion of host immune factors, such as cytokines, to their own benefit. 9) Fast development: parasites proliferate faster than the ability of the host to mount a defence response. 10) Exploitation of the host immune reaction. Knowledge of the evasion strategies adopted by parasites will help us to understand host-parasite interactions and may therefore help in the discovery of novel immunotherapeutic agents or targeted vaccines, and permit the selection of host-resistant strains.
Keywords: Immune response; Immune escape; Fish parasites; Immunoprivilege; Immunodepression
View full article here:
Is this lobster half cooked?
Check out these rare ‘split lobsters’.
http://news.neaq.org/2012/10/new-lobster-dressed-for-halloween.html?m=1
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Yours sincerely,
Dr Richmond Loh
BSc BVMS MPhil MANZCVS (Aq & Pathol)
The Fish Vet, Perth, Western Australia.
Veterinary Medicine for fish.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383
2013 AQUAVET® I & II & III
I’ve attended AquaVet II and I can vouch that’s it’s an incredibly worthwhile course.
From
2013 AQUAVET® I & II & III The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University are pleased to announce the 2013 AQUAVET® I & II Programs as well as the new AQUAVET® III offering. They are aquatic veterinary medicine education programs that currently consist of two courses that will be presented at Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI in June 2013 and one on aquarium medicine which is at three venues. AQUAVET® I: An Introduction to Aquatic Veterinary Medicine is a 4-week course (26 May – 22 June 2013) intended primarily for veterinary students. |
AQUAVET® II: Comparative Pathology of Aquatic Animals is a 2-week course (26 May – 8 June 2013) that is oriented toward the pathology of diseases of aquatic invertebrates and fish that are used in biomedical research, encountered in display aquaria and are of importance in commercial aquaculture.
AQUAVET® III: Clinical Aspects of Captive Aquatic Animal Medicine is a 5 week course (24 June – 27 July, 2013) and is limited to a small number of students. The venues include GA Aquarium, U of GA and Dolphinaris, Cancún, México.
Veterinary students can receive credits for the course and graduate veterinarians can receive CE credits.
More detailed information and applications for admission (due by January 15, 2013) are (or will soon be) available on the web site www.aquavet.info.
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aquavetindex
Presented by the School of Veterinary Medicine University of Pennsylvania,and the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University . |
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Yours sincerely,
Dr Richmond Loh
BSc BVMS MPhil MANZCVS (Aq & Pathol)
The Fish Vet, Perth, Western Australia.
Veterinary Medicine for fish.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383