#Discus freshwater fish skin
If fish are in good condition it is possible to do gill clippings, skin scrapings, and fecal examination without sacrificing the fish. The darkening is probably a non-specific indication of stress as hobbyists have indicated that discus maintained in suboptimal water quality will develop dark body coloration. Behaviorally the fish appear depressed as evidenced by a complete lack of normal activity, listlessness, and anorexia. In addition to direct economic loss through mortalities, debilitated animals are inadequate as breeders. A clinical history will often reveal the chronic progression of the syndrome, and low levels of chronic mortality in the population. Clinically, affected fish are extremely thin, and appear almost black in coloration. Education of discus owners, therefore, is an important aspect of case management. Because of the value of the discus, however, owners are reluctant to submit fish for clinical examination until they appear moribund. This wasting condition appears to be associated with chronic, severe endoparasitism and consequently should be treatable if diagnosis and therapy are accomplished early in the course of the disease. Discus fry feed on the slime of the parents (2), and although it is possible to raise them in the absence of parental care, few breeders have achieved high levels of production without good parents.Ī condition exists in discus which is characterized by weight loss, poor condition, and dark coloration.
In addition to being able to spawn on a regular basis many breeders allow the parents to raise the young which emphasizes the importance of healthy breeding stock. Breeding pairs are extremely costly and difficult to obtain. In Florida (1) commercial production of discus is a highly specialized endeavor. They are intolerant of suboptimal water quality and require a high quality diet which is often a combination of commercially prepared diets, live foods, and homemade special recipes.
In addition, many breeders practice linebreeding which results in development of special strains which sell for premium prices.ĭiscus are somewhat fragile compared to many other species of ornamental fish, and are usually kept by advanced aquarists rather than beginners. aequifasciata Haraldi (the blue discus) (1). aequifasciata Axelrodi (the brown discus), and S. aequifasciata Aequifasciata (the green discus), S. The latter is subdivided into 3 subspecies, S. It is a member of the family cichlidae and its native range is the Amazon River basin. The discus, Symphysodon sp., is a highly valued aquarium fish. Several treatment regimes will be discussed, and an assessment of response to therapy will be presented when available. Selected case reports will be presented, including pathologic findings. Preliminary findings suggest that chronic endoparasitism may be responsible for debilitation of the fish, and that secondary bacterial infection may cause the actual demise of the animal. Typically, affected fish are extremely cachectic, normal coloration is lost, and a general darkening of the body is obvious. A clinical syndrome exists of some farm-raised discus which is characterized by chronic weight loss and affected fish are categorized as poor-doers. The fish, particularly breeding pairs, are extremely costly. In Florida, commercial production of discus is a highly specialized endeavor. The discus, Symphysodon sp., is a highly valued freshwater aquarium fish.