Did you know that approximately 2.5% of all known fish species undergo migration at least once during their life cycle?

Migration is the synchronous, directed movement of a large segment of a population between discrete habitats. Although, the physical scale of migration may vary over four orders of magnitude, from hundreds of meters to thousands of kilometers. There are many challenges associated with migration, and numerous factors can influence the migratory success of individuals.

View article here:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MiamiImageURL&_cid=280768&_user=143908&_pii=B978012374553800085X&_check=y&_origin=search&_coverDate=31-Dec-2011&view=c&wchp=dGLbVlS-zSkzS&md5=6c3d07177db4eaf3d2c20c9028943809/3-s2.0-B978012374553800085X-main.pdf

A glossary of terms used in the article:

Amphidromy	An uncommon subcategory of diadromy, in which there is a brief excursion from freshwater to seawater during the juvenile stage, but the majority of feeding and growth and spawning occur in freshwater.
Anadromy	Life-history strategy entailing reproduction and early rearing in freshwater followed by a significant growth phase in seawater.
Catadromy	A subcategory of diadromy, in which the majority of feeding and growth occurs in freshwater and the fully grown adult fish migrate to saltwater and reproduce.
Crepuscular	Occurring during twilight (dusk and dawn). Daily pattern with two peaks of activity centered around dusk and dawn, though not excluding some activity in between these periods. From Latin ‘crepusculum’ (twilight).
Diadromy	A category of migration, in which all migratory activity crosses the seawater/freshwater boundary.
Diel	Pertaining to a 24-h period.
Fluvial	Relating to a river, stream, or other flowing water.
Iteroparity	A reproductive strategy whereby an individual reproduces more than once within its lifetime.
Lateral line	Sensory structure consisting of a series of mechanoreceptor cells on the surface of the body of fishes and for detection of water motion relative to the body and low-frequency sound.
Migration	A regular directed movement of a group of animals.
Navigation	A mechanism whereby fishes plot a course to a particular location.
Oceanodramy	A category of migration, in which all migratory activity occurs in saltwater.
Orientation	A mechanism whereby fishes position themselves in a particular direction in response to an external stimulus.
Potamodromy	A category of migration, in which all migratory activity occurs in freshwater.
Rheotaxis	A directional preference to flowing water.
Semelparity	A reproductive strategy whereby an individual reproduces only once within its lifetime.

Fish surgery

Thank you for following me this past year. Have a safe and happy new year to all from Dr Richmond Loh, The Fish Vet.

If you are not in Perth or Melbourne and require a veterinarian to see your fish, email your details to thefishvet@gmail.com

Dr Loh has a mailing list of veterinarians who may be in your area who can help.

You may also wish to point your regular veterinarian to have a copy “Fish Vetting Essentials” on hand to help with caring for your fish.

However, if the condition permits, you may be able to organise for a site visit.

The role of the diagnostic laboratory in fish disease control

Douglas P. Anderson, Phyllis J. Barney

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Fish Health Research Laboratory, Box 700, Kearneysville, West Virginia 25430 USA

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fish Disease Control Center, P.O. Box 1595, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54602-1595 USA

Available online 22 September 2003.

Abstract

The diagnostic laboratory is becoming increasingly important to the productivity and profitability of hatcheries, fish farms, and aquaculture stations. The basic function of the laboratory personnel is to isolate and identify viral, bacterial, protozoan, and other fish pathogens present in cultured and feral fish stocks. New, rapid and accurate methods for the detection and identification of fish disease agents based on immunological, biochemical, and physiological assays are becoming commonly used. Nearly every North American state or province and many foreign countries have fish health regulations that require inspection of stocks for certain disease agents before the fish are shipped into their areas. Decisions from the diagnostic laboratory on identification, treatment, guaranteed isolation, immunization, and disposal of fish populations affect administrative directives, hatchery placement, and national and international transportation of fish and fish products. This paper reviews concepts and describes the equipment, supplies, biologics, and media needed for the basic diagnostic laboratory. Information management, including training of staff, certification procedures, and quality control are also discussed.

Keywords: Fish; Disease; Diagnostic Laboratory; Pathology

View full article here:

Click to access science

You will be glad to know that Fish Vetting Essentials has gained recognition with veterinarians and aquariasts around the world purchasing this highly useful and practical text book on fish health and medicine. Just some of the countries the book has been exported to include:

• American Samoa
• Australia
• Belgium
• England
• Hong Kong
• Japan
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Singapore
• USA

View Sample Pages of Fish Vetting Essentials.

To order your copy of the latest Fish Vetting Essentials, visit thefishvet.com.au or click here to proceed directly to the shopping cart.

Aquatic Animal Health (or “Fish” health) is a growing area of public interest and associated veterinary activity. Veterinarians are rightly seen as independent guardians and experts in fish health and there is a need, understood within the profession, for specialised knowledge of this complex area to be appropriately recognised.

The establishment of the Aquatic Animal Health Membership subject within the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (ANZCVS) in 2001 signified the growing need and interest in the veterinary profession to gain advanced knowledge, and recognition of this knowledge, in the discipline of aquatic animal health.

The membership subject has been well received and now sixteen veterinarians are members of the ANZ College in Aquatic Animal Health by examination. There is continued strong interest in the subject, with several veterinarians enrolled to sit Membership exams in the subject in 2012.

There are several veterinarians who predominately work with fish as their main stay. There are veterinarians who have the expertise and skills but lack the official qualification.

The examination in aquatic animal health creates this qualification and formalises the training pathway. If the veterinary profession is to further its involvement in aquatic animal health and meet the expectations of the public, industry and government, then it needed to provide the opportunity to enable veterinarians to become specialists in the field and be recognised for this specialisation. The ANZ College fulfils this need through a rigorous programme of training and examination.

Few studies have utilised blood testing in fish because of a large number of complicating factors. One of the major complicating factros is that fish are “cold-blooded” animals, many of their enzymes and biological processes continue to occur even at room temperature (this is different to mammals where things tend to stabilise). So, blood samples drawn from fishes need to be analysed immediately. The article below details biochemical reference ranges for koi carp.

Access article here.