Trichogaster

Abstract: The pharmacokinetics of florfenicol were studied in koi carp Cyprinus carpio (hereafter, koi) and threespot gourami Trichogaster trichopterus after oral (50 mg/kg) and intramuscular (25 mg/kg) administration of the drug in warm water conditions (24–25°C). The estimates of clearance, volume of distribution, and half-life were 0.05 L · h−1 · kg−1, 1.0 L/kg, and 16 h, respectively, in koi. In threespot gourami, the corresponding estimates were 0.32 L · h−1 · kg−1, 2.0 L/kg, and 4 h. In koi, minimal drug absorption was observed after bath treatment. Analysis of florfenicol leaching from fish feed indicated that about 50–80% of the coated drug is lost and is not available for therapeutic benefit for either species. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of florfenicol, determined for bacterial isolates from tropical fish, ranged from 0.5 to 2 μg/mL. For effective dosing regimens in koi and threespot gourami, the differences in pharmacokinetics should be considered in future studies.

Abstract: Thirty-five aquarium fish were investigated for the presence of mycobacteria by culture and molecular methods. The following species were examined: goldfish Carassius auratus auratus, guppy Poecilia reticulata, 4 three-spot gourami Trichogaster trichopterus, dwarf gourami Colisa lalia, Siamese fighting fish Betta splendens, freshwater angelfish Pterophyllum scalare, African cichlid fish Cichlidae spp., cichlid fish Microgeophagus altispinosus, cichlid fish Pseudotropheus lombardoi, blue streak hap Labidochromis caeruleus, sterlet Acipenser ruthenus, southern platyfish Xiphophorus maculatus, and catfish Corydoras spp. Isolates of mycobacteria were obtained in 29 cases (82.9%). Two specimens were positive using Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining, but the cultivation failed. Four specimens were both ZN- and culture-negative. On the basis of GenoType Mycobacterium assay (Hain Life-science) and restriction enzyme analysis of the amplified products (PCR-RFLP), 23 isolates (79.3%) were identified: 7 as Mycobacterium fortuitum, 6 as M. gordonae, 6 as M. marinum, 3 as M. chelonae, and 1 as M. peregrinum. Five isolates remained unidentified (Mycobacterium spp.). One case probably represented a mixed infection (M. marinum/M. fortuitum). Since M. marinum infections are also detected in humans, the significance of mycobacteria in aquarium fish should not be overlooked.

Abstract: We have cloned two cDNAs from the pituitary gland of blue gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus), coding for the ‚ subunits of the gonadotropin hormones GtH-I and GtH-II. The two cDNAs were sequenced and subjected to sequence analysis. We have found that the deduced amino acid sequences of both cDNAs were most similar to their striped bass counterparts. The ‚ GtH-I subunits of blue gourami and striped bass shared 73% of their residues, and the ‚ GtH-II subunits 84%. The cloning of the cDNAs of ‚ GtH-I and ‚ GtH-II has enabled us to measure the expression of their respective mRNAs in the pituitaries of female blue gourami at diVerent stages of the reproductive cycle. The highest levels of ‚ GtH-I and ‚ GtH-II mRNA were found in specimens classified as high vitellogenic and in females that were at the final stages of oocyte maturation.