NEWS, REVIEWS AND OPINIONS ON THE LATEST FISHKEEPING GADGETS.
Check out what’s new – some pages from Practical Fish Keeping Magazine which can be downloaded from the link below, courtesy of Nathan Hill.
How to tell the difference in the sex of koi?
Telling the difference in the sex of koi fish can sometimes be difficult. It is easiest when they at sexual maturity and during spring/summer.
Female kois are more rotund because their bellies carry a full load of eggs. They have a shorter, wider head and the texture of their skin is smooth all over. The vent will be protruding.
Male kois are more streamlined and elongate. They have longer, narrower heads and the texture of their skin along their flanks and operculae (gill covers) are slightly rough to the touch. The vent of male fish will be sunken/concave.
During the breeding season, you may notice males chasing after females as they spawn.
Imagine absorbing your nutrients from your surroundings!
Fish are unique in their ability to absorb minerals not only from their diets but also from water!
Nutrition, Feeding, and Behavior of Fish
| Institute for Marine Biosciences, National Research Council of Canada, 1411 Oxford Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 3Z1 |
Available online 31 March 2009.
Nutrition and feeding influence growth, reproduction, and health of 
fish and their response to physiologic and environmental stressors and pathogens. The basics of fish metabolism are similar to those of warm-blooded animals in that they involve food intake, digestion, absorption, and transport of nutrients to the various tissues. Fish, however, being the most primitive form of vertebrates, possess some distinguishing features which will be discussed. Unlike warm-blooded animals, which are homoeothermic, fish are poikilothermic, so their body temperature and metabolic rate depends on the water temperature and this has practical implications for the nutrition, feeding and health of fish. Several behavioral responses have been linked to methods of feeding, feeding habits, frequency of feeding, mechanisms of food detection, and food preferences. Fish are also unique among vertebrates in their ability to absorb minerals not only from their diets but also from water through their gills and skin.
Keywords: Fish; Nutrition; Feeding; Behavior; Feeds; Diet
FRDC funds Dr Loh to attend Aquavet in the US.
The Aquavet Admissions Committee found that Dr Loh was too overqualified to attend Aquavet I and have selected him to participate in Aquavet II instead.
Dr Loh’s trip to the US later this year has been made possible through the –
“People development program: 2011 Aquatic Animal Health Training Scheme is supported by funding from the FRDC
on behalf of the Australian Government”. This federal grant was won on a competitive basis.
Thank you to all those who have helped Dr Loh in the application process and by providing references and testimonials.
These can be viewed at – http://thefishvet.com.au/testimonials.html
Stuck for a Valentine’s gift? How about “gems” of information?
Check out Practical Fish Keeping’s review of Fish Vetting Essentials:
- written by two highly qualified aquatic experts
- dip into it for nearly everything
- the information is priceless
- real world advice
- gems of information revealed
- a sensible investment
- it takes pride of place
To order your own copy, go to: http://www.thefishvet.com.au/shop/shopping.html
What’s the difference between a skin fluke and a gill fluke?
| Gyrodactylus | Dactylogyrus | |
| Identifying features | 1 pair of large hooks on the tail. | Multiple small hooklets on the tail.“Eye-spots” visible. |
| Mode of reproduction | Viviparous (developing embryo with large hooks may be visible inside). | Produce eggs (golden brown vitelline bodies seen in the body). |
| Life-cycle | No stage of the lifecycle is free of the host and parasite numbers can build up on the host fish extremely rapidly. | Eggs are laid into the water and hatch to release a free-living oncomiracidium that actively seeks out a host. |
| Management/treatment | Single treatment will suffice. | Multiple treatments required. |
Special net for koi.
The first time I saw this net, I wondered,”How on earth do you catch a fish using a net with solid sides, a short handle and one that with a large hole at the end!”
It’s actually a fantastic way to transfer large fish from one tank to another (see blog on moving large fish also – https://thefishvet.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/how-to-move-large-fishes/) because the solid cloth sides allows you to transport the fish in a small amount of water and the fish never loses scales or gets tangled in it. The mesh material allows the handler to drain the net and the open end allows the fish to slide out easily.
Simply ingenious!
This short clip shows how we use it – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy34rOBboUs
AVMA and WAVMA combine to present an aquatic veterinary conference – August 2012.
From: Dr. David Scarfe <DScarfe@avma.org>
Participate in the
Aquatic Veterinary Program
2012 AVMA Convention
San Diego Convention Center
August 4-7, 2012
Four days of aquatic veterinary sessions for the private practitioner. Sessions (see attached) jointly organized by AVMA’s Aquatic Veterinary Medicine Committee & the World Aquatic Veterinary Medical Association.
BIG SAVINGS for Early Registration!!!! www.avmaconvention.org/avma12
· Register by May 7 and save up to $100
· Book your hotel first and receive a discount code for an additional $25 savings
· Aquatic veterinarians – enter “E219” as the VIP/Promotion Code online and receive another $25 registration discount
WAVMA Annual General Meeting
Come meet your colleagues, feast on free food & find out what’s evolving in Aquatic Veterinary Medicine
Monday, August 6 @ 6:00 – 10:00 pm (Location to be announced)
Planning to attend the AGM and feast with the best? —– e-mail cypcarpio@aol.com by July 31, 2012 to ensure we have food and space for you
Visit the AVMA/WAVMA Aquatic Veterinary Medicine Booth (2220/2222) in the Exhibit Hall
But that’s not all for the 2012 AVMA Convention ………. Step Ahead, you’ll be glad you did!
- · Earn up to 42 Hours of CE – Join thousands of the best and brightest minds in veterinary medicine for CE, networking opportunities, and fun in San Diego. Fill your days with some of the strongest CE available, then enjoy some down-time at family-friendly social events or out-and-about at one of San Diego’s many attractions.
- · Over 360 Educational Sessions to Choose From – With sessions covering all areas of veterinary medicine, from aquatics to zoos the AVMA offers something for everyone in the profession.
- · Hot topics & Future Trends – New session formats like “Inside the Issues” allow exploring and discussing the latest industry developments. It’s a unique new way to get in tune with the pulse of what’s going on in the everyday veterinary medicine world.
For More Information, Housing & Registration go to www.avmaconvention.org/avma12
See the flyer from the link below for more information and the full aquatic veterinary program
Abalone show no immunity to herpesvirus.
The information below is extracted from:
Health Highlights
Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram Newsletter
Volume 11, Issue 2, January 2012
The recent emergence in Australia of abalone viral ganglioneuritis (AVG) caused by abalone herpeslike virus (AbHV) is recognised as a major commercial threat to both the wild capture and the fledgling aquaculture industries, and an environmental threat to wild populations in general.
Results from recent research demonstrated that abalone from various sites along the Victorian coast-line that had experienced outbreaks of AVG remained susceptible to infection and disease. The mature abalone that were sourced from these areas are presumed to be survivors from the previous disease outbreaks and the juvenile abalone are presumed to be the progeny of these survivors.
Neither groups demonstrated any resistance to reinfection and appeared to be as susceptible as naïve counterparts sourced from a farm that had no history of AVG.
This knowledge will assist industry and regulators manage the wild abalone fishery into the future.
How to inject fish with medicine?
From time to time, we may need to inject fish with medicines. How do you do this?
This clip shows the technique in action.