The current state of biosecurity and welfare of ornamental fish population in pet fish stores in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand

Abstract

Aquaculture has undergone extensive development in recent decades due to its use as a source of protein for human consumption, as models for scientific research, and as pets. The purpose of this study was to survey ornamental fish stores in Chiang Mai province, Thailand to identify practices which affect life quality and welfare of pet fish including general management, biosecurity management, and knowledge about fish disease and drug usage of ornamental fish store owners. The results show that most pet fish stores have poor husbandry in terms of fish health based on the observed incidence of skin erosion and fin rot (92.86%) and white spots on the skin (78.57%) in store fish. Moreover, treatment of these health conditions were performed by experienced people working in the stores without consulting a veterinarian. The top three drugs used for treatment included malachite green oxalate, trichlorfon, and formalin. Interestingly, oxytetracycline and chlortetracycline were also used frequently to treat fish disease. Despite a lack of formal training in fish management, fish health, and drug usage in ornamental fish, the knowledge of owners about fish disease and antibacterial agent usage was determined to be of an intermediate level based on testing. The information gained from this study can be used in future studies to identify stressors that affect pet fish welfare and to investigate biosecurity and ornamental fish welfare in the other sectors of the ornamental fish trade supply chain.

Social behaviors as welfare indicators in teleost fish

“…Considering that intensive fishing can unbalance the populations in the natural environment, this situation has raised deep concern. However, despite their economic relevance, ornamental fish still face critical welfare challenges, including inadequate maintenance conditions, poor water quality, handling, transportation, confinement, overcrowding, poor diet, or feeding methods and disease ( 36 ). Even though research on characiforms welfare is scarce, exploring different indicators in this order is crucial to improve the quality of life and health of fish, and to expand successful production in the ornamental trade.…”

“…Fish welfare can be affected by different common practices in aquaculture, such as overcrowding, handling, social isolation and transportation, all possible husbandry stressors affecting their quality of life ( 36 , 91 ). Glucocorticoids are steroid hormones synthesized by the adrenal/interregnal gland, and cortisol is the main glucocorticoid in fish ( 92 ).…”

Applying Image Recognition and Tracking Methods for Fish Physiology Detection Based on a Visual Sensor

“…We assume that N guppies swim freely in the aquarium space L , where each fish has its own ID (i.e., name), denoted by ID i , i = 1… N . Here, we consider the most common physiological states of guppies [ 19 ], including healthy (marked as H ), diseased (rotten tail, marked as R ), and dead (marked as D ). In addition, we also consider fish swimming behaviors, including group swimming, shading with each other, flipping body, and turning over for breath, among others, as shown in Figure 2 .…”

Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae Meal: A Sustainable Alternative to Fish Meal Proven to Promote Growth and Immunity in Koi Carp (Cyprinus carpio var. koi)

“…In 2021, the annual revenues of the ornamental fish industry were estimated at USD 5.4 billion, with Koi carp emerging among the most economically important species, reflecting its high popularity, consumer preference, and elevated market values [1][2][3]. The industry, however, faces several challenges, including inadequate management practices, insufficient feed supply during production, and disease outbreaks due to the infection of various pathogens [4][5][6].…”