Treatments for ectoparasites and diseases in captive Western Australian dhufish

The Western Australian dhufish (Glaucosoma hebraicum), an open-water marine finfish, has been identified as a potential species for aquaculture and a 4 y research project has concentrated on broodstock collection and maintena nce, spawning and larval rearing. This paper describes treatments which wer e developed for the ectoparasites and diseases of broodstock fish. These in cluded bacterial and fungal infections, Cryptocaryon irritans, Haliotrema s p., an unidentified axinid monogenean, the isopod Aega cyclops and copepod Caligus sp. Treatments based on betadine, formalin, freshwater, malachite g reen, oxytetracycline (terramycin), 2-phenoxyethanol, potassium permanganat e and trichlorphon (neguvon) were all tried. The most effective treatments against parasites were a freshwater bath or a combined freshwater bath and anaesthesia with 2-phenoxyethanol. Monogeneans on the gills were difficult to control and exophthalmia was an unresolved problem.