Parasitic diseases

Abstract

A wide variety of parasitic organisms have been reported as causing significant problems in grouper aquaculture. In the hatchery and nursery stages, parasitic diseases of groupers are caused predominantly by protozoans, particularly the ciliates. When grouper fry are transferred to grow-out facilities, they are subjected to handling and transport stress. These fish often carry a large variety and high intensity of ciliated protozoans, skin and gill monogeneans and caligid copepods.

This chapter deals with the major parasites of cultured groupers including infections caused by protozoans, monogeneans, didymozoid digeneans, nematodes, caligid copepods, isopods and leeches.