Effects of some common bacterial fish diseases on fish behavior in aquaculture: a Review
Influence of bacterial diseases on fish behavior
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15764098Keywords:
Behavioral change, disease indicators, fish farming, fish healthAbstract
Aquaculture is of increasing importance and economic value in global food production. Sustainability and productivity of aquaculture are directly related to the health of the fish farmed. Bacterial diseases in fish are common in the aquaculture sector and cause significant economic losses. Therefore, it is of substantial to understand the agents, prevalence and effects of bacterial diseases on fish health. Fish behavior is an important indicator of their health status. Behavioral changes can be an early sign of disease and therefore careful observation is vital for timely diagnosis and control of diseases. This review discusses common bacterial fish diseases, their agents and specific behavioral changes observed in infected fish. In addition, potential mechanisms by which bacterial infections affect fish behavior are examined.References
A El-Noby, G., Hassanin, M., El-Hady, M., & Aboshabana, S. (2021). Streptococcus: a review article on an emerging pathogen of farmed fishes. Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, 25(1), 123-139. https://doi.org/10.21608/ejabf.2021.138469
Afonso, A., Gomes, S., Da Silva, J., Marques, F., & Henrique, M. (2005). Side effects in sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) due to intraperitoneal vaccination against vibriosis and pasteurellosis. Fish & Shellfish Immunology, 19(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsi.2004.09.001
Albert, M. J., Ansaruzzaman, M., Talukder, K. A., Chopra, A. K., Kuhn, I., Rahman, M., ... & Mollby, R. (2000). Prevalence of enterotoxin genes in Aeromonas spp. isolated from children with diarrhea, healthy controls, and the environment. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 38(10), 3785-3790. https://doi.org/10.1128/jcm.38.10.3785-3790.2000
Astrofsky, K. M., Schrenzel, M. D., Bullis, R. A., Smolowitz, R. M., & Fox, J. G. (2000). Diagnosis and management of atypical Mycobacterium spp. infections in established laboratory zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio) facilities. Comparative Medicine, 50(6), 666-672.
Baset, A. (2022). Status of furunculosis in fish fauna. In Bacterial Fish Diseases (pp. 257-267). Academic Press.
Baums, C. G., Hermeyer, K., Leimbach, S., Adamek, M., Czerny, C. P., Hoerstgen-Schwark, G., ... & Steinhagen, D. (2013). Establishment of a model of Streptococcus iniae meningoencephalitis in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Journal of Comparative Pathology, 149(1), 94-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcpa.2012.10.003q
Blanch, A. R., Pinto, R. M., & Jofre, J. T. (1990). Isolation and characterization of an Edwardsiella sp. strain, causative agent of mortalities in sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). Aquaculture, 88(3-4), 213-222. https://doi.org/10.1016/0044-8486(90)90149-H
Boltana, S., Aguilar, A., Sanhueza, N., Donoso, A., Mercado, L., Imarai, M., & Mackenzie, S. (2018). Behavioral fever drives epigenetic modulation of the immune response in fish. Frontiers in immunology, 9, 1241. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2018.01241
Bullock, G. L. (1985). Edwardsiella infections of fishes (Vol. 71). US Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Fishery Research.
Bullock, G. L. (1986). Columnaris disease of fishes (Vol. 72). US Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Fisheries and Wetlands Research.
Campus Veterinarian and the Office of Research Assurances (Washington State University) (2021). Zoonoses Associated with Fish. Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). https://iacuc.wsu.edu/zoonoses-associated-with-fish/ . January 2021.
Cipriano, R. C., & Bullock, G. L. (2001). Furunculosis and other diseases caused by Aeromonas salmonicida. Charles Town, WV: National Fish Health Research Laboratory.
Colorni, A., Avtalion, R., Knibb, W., Berger, E., Colorni, B., & Timan, B. (1998). Histopathology of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) experimentally infected with Mycobacterium marinum and treated with streptomycin and garlic (Allium sativum) extract. Aquaculture, 160(1-2), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0044-8486(97)00234-2
De Guzman, E., Shotts, E. B., & Gratzek, J. B. (1986). Review of Bacterial Diseases of Aquarium Fish IAAAM Archive.
Delghandi, M. R., El-Matbouli, M., & Menanteau-Ledouble, S. (2020). Renibacterium salmoninarum—the causative agent of bacterial kidney disease in salmonid fish. Pathogens, 9(10), 845.
Doménech, A., Fernández-Garayzábal, J. F., Lawson, P., García, J. A., Cutuli, M. T., Blanco, M., ... & Domínguez, L. (1997). Winter disease outbreak in sea-bream (Sparus aurata) associated with Pseudomonas anguilliseptica infection. Aquaculture, 156(3-4), 317-326. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0044-8486(97)00069-0
Dos Santos, N. M. S., Do Vale, A., Sousa, M. J., & Silva, M. T. (2002). Mycobacterial infection in farmed turbot Scophthalmus maximus. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 52(1), 87-91.
Egidius, E. (1987). Vibriosis: pathogenicity and pathology. A review. Aquaculture, 67(1-2), 15-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/0044-8486(87)90004-4
Fernández-Álvarez, C., González, S. F., & Santos, Y. (2019). Quantitative PCR coupled with melting curve analysis for rapid detection and quantification of Tenacibaculum maritimum in fish and environmental samples. Aquaculture, 498, 289-296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2018.08.039
Francis-Floyd, R. (1998). Columnaries Disease. University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences, EDIS. https://www.simplydiscus.com/library/disease_medications/external/columnaris_diseases.shtml
Francis-Floyd, R. (2011). Mycobacterial infections of fish. Southern Regional Aquaculture Center, SRAC Publication No. 4706. November 2011. https://extension.rwfm.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2013/09/SRAC-Publication-No.-4706-Mycobacterial-Infections-of-Fish.pdf
Frans, I., Michiels, C. W., Bossier, P., Willems, K. A., Lievens, B., & Rediers, H. (2011). Vibrio anguillarum as a fish pathogen: virulence factors, diagnosis and prevention. Journal of fish diseases, 34(9), 643-661. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2761.2011.01279.x
Gabel, B., Wilson, M., & Higley, R. (2018). Cross species infection of Yersinia ruckeri from chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) to yellowtail rockfish (Sebastes flavidus) and kelp greenling (Hexagrammos decagrammus). Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (Seattle, Wash.) https://cedar.wwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2711&context=ssec
Haines, A. N., Gauthier, D. T., Nebergall, E. E., Cole, S. D., Nguyen, K. M., Rhodes, M. W., & Vogelbein, W. K. (2013). First report of Streptococcus parauberis in wild finfish from North America. Veterinary microbiology, 166(1-2), 270-275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2013.05.002
Hegde, A., Kabra, S., Basawa, R. M., Khile, D. A., Abbu, R. U. F., Thomas, N. A., ... & Raval, R. (2023). Bacterial diseases in marine fish species: current trends and future prospects in disease management. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 39(11), 317. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-023-03755-5
Irshath, A. A., Rajan, A. P., Vimal, S., Prabhakaran, V. S., & Ganesan, R. (2023). Bacterial pathogenesis in various fish diseases: recent advances and specific challenges in vaccine development. Vaccines, 11(2), 470. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11020470
Izadi, F., & Vajargah, M. F. (2022). An Overview of Furunculosis. Journal ISSN, 2766, 2276. https://doi.org/10.37871/jbres1507
İkiz, S., & Kekeç, A. I. (2024). Aeromonas salmonicida Enfeksiyonu. İçinde S. A. K., B. Boynukara, M. C. Adıgüzel & A. F. Bağcigil (Ed.), Balıkların Bakteriyel Hastalıkları (s. 9-11). [Duvar Yayınları].
Jiang, M., Chen, Z. G., Zheng, J., & Peng, B. (2019). Metabolites-enabled survival of crucian carps infected by Edwardsiella tarda in high water temperature. Frontiers in immunology, 10, 1991. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2019.01991
Karlsen, C., Thorarinsson, R., Wallace, C., Salonius, K., & Midtlyng, P. J. (2017). Atlantic salmon winter-ulcer disease: Combining mortality and skin ulcer development as clinical efficacy criteria against Moritella viscosa infection. Aquaculture, 473, 538-544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2017.01.035
Kipp, R.M., A.K.Bogdanoff, A. Fusaro and R. Sturtevant, (2025). Aeromonas salmonicida Emmerich and Weible, 1890: U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL, and NOAA Great Lakes Aquatic Nonindigenous Species Information System, Ann Arbor, MI. https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/greatlakes/FactSheet.aspx?Species_ID=2353&Potential=N&Type=0&HUCNumber=DGreatLakes, Revision Date: 8/21/2018
Kumar, G., Menanteau-Ledouble, S., Saleh, M., & El-Matbouli, M. (2015). Yersinia ruckeri, the causative agent of enteric redmouth disease in fish. Veterinary Research, 46, 1-10.
Lafrentz, B. R., Goodwin, A. E., & Shoemaker, C. A. (2012). Columnaris disease. Book Chapter, 3. https://units.fisheries.org/fhs/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2017/08/1.2.3-Columnaris2014.pdf
Lee, S. B., Choe, Y., Chon, T. S., & Kang, H. Y. (2015). Analysis of zebrafish (Danio rerio) behavior in response to bacterial infection using a self-organizing map. BMC veterinary research, 11, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-015-0579-2
Liu, M., Yang, X., Zeng, C., Zhao, H., Li, J., Hou, Z., & Wen, H. (2022). Transcriptional signatures of immune, neural, and endocrine functions in the brain and kidney of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in response to Aeromonas salmonicida infection. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(3), 1340. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23031340
Manchanayake, T., Salleh, A., Amal, M. N. A., Yasin, I. S. M., & Zamri-Saad, M. (2023). Pathology and pathogenesis of Vibrio infection in fish: A review. Aquaculture Reports, 28, 101459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aqrep.2022.101459
Marshall, S. H., Conejeros, P., Zahr, M., Olivares, J., Gómez, F., Cataldo, P., & Henríquez, V. (2007). Immunological characterization of a bacterial protein isolated from salmonid fish naturally infected with Piscirickettsia salmonis. Vaccine, 25(11), 2095-2102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2006.11.035
Muniesa, A., Basurco, B., Aguilera, C., Furones, D., Reverté, C., Sanjuan‐Vilaplana, A., ... & Tavornpanich, S. (2020). Mapping the knowledge of the main diseases affecting sea bass and sea bream in Mediterranean. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 67(3), 1089-1100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsi.2004.09.001
Nguyen, D. T., Marancik, D., & Soto, E. (2022). B-glucan immunostilulation against columnaris in a white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) model. Fish and Shellfish Immunology Reports, 3, 100067. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsirep.2022.100
Nikolaisen, N. K., Lindegaard, M., Lyhs, U., Strube, M. L., Hansen, M. S., Struve, T., ... & Pedersen, K. (2021). First finding of Streptococcus phocae infections in mink (Neovison vison). Research in Veterinary Science, 139, 145-151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2021.07.015
Palmeiro, B., & Roberts, H. (2009). Bacterial disease in fish. Clinical Veterinary Advisor: Exotic Medicine. Elsevier.
Patel, P., Patel, B., Amaresan, N., Joshi, B., Shah, R., & Krishnamurthy, R. (2020). Isolation and characterization of Lactococcus garvieae from the fish gut for in vitro fermentation with carbohydrates from agro-industrial waste. Biotechnology Reports, 28, e00555. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.btre.2020.e00555
Rao, K. R., & Lahari, N. (2024) FISH DISEASES. Department of Zoology/ Fisheries Dr. V. S. Krishna Govt. Degree & PG College Visakhapatnam India. https://www.academia.edu/124222565/Fish_Diseases
Rousselet, E., Stacy, N. I., Rotstein, D. S., Waltzek, T. B., Griffin, M. J., & Francis‐Floyd, R. (2018). Systemic Edwardsiella tarda infection in a Western African lungfish (Protopterus annectens) with cytologic observation of heterophil projections. Journal of fish diseases, 41(9), 1453-1458. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfd.12831
Sanders J. (2022). Vibriosis in Fish. Causes, Treatment, and Prevention. https://www.thesprucepets.com/how-to-treat-vibriosis-in-fish-5094499. 04/04/2022.
Shaowu, L., Di, W., Hongbai, L., & Tongyan, L. (2013). Isolation of Yersinia ruckeri strain H01 from farm‐raised Amur Sturgeon Acipenser schrencki in China. Journal of Aquatic Animal Health, 25(1), 9-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/08997659.2012.728169
Sepulcre, M. P., Sarropoulou, E., Kotoulas, G., Meseguer, J., & Mulero, V. (2007). Vibrio anguillarum evades the immune response of the bony fish sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) through the inhibition of leukocyte respiratory burst and down-regulation of apoptotic caspases. Molecular immunology, 44(15), 3751-3757. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molimm.2007.03.021
Shoemaker, C. A., LaFrentz, B. R., García, J. C., Xu, D., & Beck, B. H. (2020). 1.3. 3 Streptococcosis in Fish.
Starliper, C. E. (2011). Bacterial coldwater disease of fishes caused by Flavobacterium psychrophilum. Journal of Advanced Research, 2(2), 97-108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jare.2010.04.001
Strøm, H. K., Ohtani, M., Nowak, B., Boutrup, T. S., Jones, B., Raida, M. K., & Bojesen, A. M. (2018). Experimental infection by Yersinia ruckeri O1 biotype 2 induces brain lesions and neurological signs in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Journal of fish diseases, 41(3), 529-537. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfd.12754
Torabi Delshad, S., Soltanian, S., Sharifiyazdi, H., & Bossier, P. (2019). Effect of catecholamine stress hormones (dopamine and norepinephrine) on growth, swimming motility, biofilm formation and virulence factors of Yersinia ruckeri in vitro and an in vivo evaluation in rainbow trout. Journal of fish diseases, 42(4), 477-487. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfd.12934
Warren, J. W. (1983). Enteric redmouth disease. A guide to integrated fish health management in the Great Lakes Basin, 83-2.
Wiens, G. D. (2011). Bacterial kidney disease (Renibacterium salmoninarum). In Fish diseases and disorders. Volume 3: viral, bacterial and fungal infections (pp. 338-374). Wallingford UK: CABI.
Yi, M., Lu, H., Du, Y., Sun, G., Shi, C., Li, X., ... & Liu, Y. (2021). The color change and stress response of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) infected with Aeromonas salmonicida. Aquaculture Reports, 20, 100664. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aqrep.2021.100664
Zerihun, M. A., Nilsen, H., Hodneland, S., & Colquhoun, D. J. (2011). Mycobacterium salmoniphilum infection in farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. Journal of fish diseases, 34(10), 769-781. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2761.2011.01293.x
Zin Eldin, A. I. A., Salman, M. B., Salah Eldin, D. A., & Eissa, N. (2023). An overview on: Bacterial fish zoonoses. Journal of Current Veterinary Research, 5(2), 196-215.
Zorriehzahra, M. J., Adel, M., & Torabi Delshad, S. (2017). Enteric redmouth disease: Past, present and future: A review. Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences, 17(4), 1135-1156. https://doi.org/10.22092/ijfs.2018.114726
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Mustafa KARGA
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
MAREP is licensed under a 