• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.77-84
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• 2012

Various antibiotics, that could induce the appearance of resistant microorganisms, have been used for treatment or prevention of bacterial diseases in marine and ornamental fish. We determined and characterized the level of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and proportion of multi-drug resistant bacteria in intestinal microflora of both marine fish cultured in Korea and imported ornamental freshwater fish. For this the bacterial species and resistance to antibiotics were investigated in intestine of rock bream Oplegnathus fasciatus cultured in Korea and pearl gourami Trichogaster leeri imported from Singapore to characterise. Although the bacterial species were different, proportions of resistant bacteria to single antibiotics or multi-drug were higher in intestinal microflora of pearl gourami Trichogaster leeri imported from Singapore than in rock bream Oplegnathus fasciatus cultured in Korea. These results indicate that various antibiotics have been being used before trading without measures in the market of asian ornamental fishes, providing high risks for the emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.352-358
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• 2011

The presence of ISKNV-like viruses in various freshwater ornamental fish species imported from Asia was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) amplification of the ATPase(adenosine triphosphatase) gene. Interestingly, molecular analyses of the Open Reading Frame 25(ORF25) region of these isolates based on the ISKNV(Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus) genome revealed the presence of various repetitive sequences. ORF25 repeat sequence length had no effect on cumulative mortality of rock bream Oplegnathus fasciatus challenged with tissue homogenates of infected pearl gourami, Trichogaster leeri; silver gourami, Trichogaster microlepis; blue gourami, or Trichogaster trichopterus. All isolates induce cumulative mortalities after 12 days of infection, confirming that ORF25 polymorphism did not affect the pathogenicity of ornamental fish megalocytiviruses that cross infect rock bream, a seawater fish. Also, no statistically significant differences in spleen index or viral copy number in infected tissues was detected between isolates with varying ORF25 repeat sequence lengths. However, further studies are necessary to fully characterize the functional characteristics of these polymorphisms in megalocytivirus disease in ornamental fishes.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.197-206
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• 2006

The distribution of iridoviruses in five freshwater ornamental fishes, pearl gourami (Trichogaster leeri), dwarf gourami (Colisa lalia), silver gourami (Trichogaster microlepis), blue gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus sumatranus) and freshwater angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare), imported from Singapore was examined in 2004 and 2005. The presence of iridoviruses in 56 sample groups was determined using PCR technique and showed PCR positive in 11 sample groups. The proportion of fish infected by iridovirus was differed depending upon species; 31.8% (7/22) for pearl gourami, 18.2% (2/11) for dwarf gourami, 16.7% (1/6) for blue gourami, 9.1% (1/11) for silver gourami and 0% (0/6) for angelfish. In quantitative comparison of viral DNAs isolated from infected tissues, the DNA concentration of iridovirus in pearl gourami was higher than that in dwarf gourami. Although pearl gourami infected naturally by iridovirus showed 100% mortality in keeping experiment for 3 weeks, only 57% of those was positive in PCR. In the comparison of nucleotide sequences of the PstⅠ fragment known as the most variable genomic region, both iridoviruses isolated from pearl gourami and dwarf gourami showed identity more than 99% with infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) isolated from mandarinfish (Siniperca chuatsi).

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.238-245
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• 2012

In this study, the molecular structures of tet(M) and tet(G) carried by tetracycline (Tc) resistant bacteria in intestinal microflora from the imported ornamental fish were characterized and compared with each other depend on the imported countries. Of the total isolates, approximately 8.9% of the Ent-lac+(lactose fermentative bacteria on coliform media) Tc resistant isolates in fish from three different countries, Singapore, Taiwan and Brazil, were appeared to contain tet(M). Three representative isolates of different countries, Aeromonas spp. JSM-1 (Singapore), JTM-1 (Taiwan) and JBM-1 (Brazil), were isolated and analyzed the molecular structures of tet(M) gene. Interestingly, partial sequence of tet(M) genes (1099 bp) in JBM-1 (Brazil) showed 99.5% homology with the tet(M) found in the Vibrio spp. RV16 isolate, obtained from marine fish in Korea and known to carry Tn1545 parent type of tet(M). In contrast, tet(M) gene in JSM-1 and JTM-1 showed mosaic structure of Tn1545 and Tn916, and 100% homology with each other. It may suggest the presence of various characteristics in terms of tet(M) gene structure. The determined sequence of the tet(G) from Aeromonas spp. JSG-1 and JBG-1 isolated from Singapore and Indonesia ornamental fish respectively showed similar nucleotide sequence homology but revealed a few nucleotide changes in comparison with the sequence of the prototype tet(G) gene (S52437 in GenBank).

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2017

The majority of freshwater ornamental fish are imported and distributed domestically, causing high risk of exposure to exotic pathogens and drug resistant bacteria in Korea. Aeromonas hydrophila is known as a common species of fresh water bacteria and opportunistic fish pathogen, as well as a species causing zoonotic infection. In this study, we isolated motile aeromonads from various imported freshwater ornamental fish and studied the characters of the isolates. Imported freshwater ornamental fish were purchased on day 1 after the fish were deposited in the aquarium. Bacteria were isolated from the liver, kidney and spleen of fish using 0.5% NaCl containing tryptic soy agar medium. Bacteria were grouped on the basis of their morphological characteristics. The colonies with clear zone on starch-ampicillin agar (SA agar) were tentatively identified as Aeromonas spp. Two hundred and twenty-six strains, about 70% of total isolates were assumed to be Aeromonas spp. Nine isolates were further identified based on the result of the API 20E test and PCR using primers specific for A. hydrophila 16S rRNA gene. The isolates were identified as A. hydrophila and the API 20E test showed differences in trisodium citrate, D-sucrose, D-melibiose, amygdalin and L-arabinose availability between the nine isolates and standard A. hydrophila. The susceptibilities of the isolated bacteria to 10 antibacterial agents were confirmed by the disk diffusion method. Isolated strains were found to be resistant to amoxicillin and ampicillin and sensitive to florfenicol. However, 7 isolates showed multiple drug resistances to erythromycin, oxytetracycline, nalidixic acid etc. Pathogenicity of the isolates was determined by the artificial challenge test on goldfish (Carassius auratus). Three isolates caused 60 ~ 80% mortality in goldfish within 5 days after the initiation of challenge. These results indicate that multiple drug resistant, highly pathogenic and exotic A. hydrophila can spread to domestic aquarium and the preventive treatment of fish before sale is necessary.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.393-398
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to determine how an ornamental fish, such as the fighting fish, Betta splendens would respond to the use of freshwater live-prey, such as rotifers Brachionus calyciflorus and water fleas Moina macrocopa. Ingested quantity, digestive velocity and somatic growth were compared between larvae fed a freshwater rotifer and those fed boiled yolk. Food efficiency and somatic growth were compared between larvae that were fed freshwater water fleas and those fed a micro-diet developed for flounder ($250{\mu}m$, I-hwa Ltd.). The number of rotifers ingested by larvae reached a maximum of 191 per day. However, based on the number ingested per hour and the digestive velocity of consumed rotifers, the maximum ingestible and digestible number of rotifers was calculated to be 272 per day. A maximum of 67 individuals (mean, 49.8 individuals) could be completely digested within the 1-h period from 90 to 180 min after feeding. Somatic growth was enhanced in larvae that were fed rotifers compared to those fed boiled yolk. Larvae exhibited greater growth at rotifer densities of 30 and 40 per mL than at lower densities. Among the water-flea (M. macrocopa and Bosmina sp.) and micro-particle diets, feeding with M. macrocopa resulted in the greatest somatic growth of larvae during the water-flea feeding stage.