A quantitative bioassay employing immersion exposure was developed for the infection of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus with the protozoan parasite Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, commonly referred to as ich. This bioassay as well as waterborne challenge of channel catfish with channel catfish virus (CCV) was used to investigate the effect of confinement stress on the sensitivity of the fish ...

Flavobacterium columnare, the causative agent of columnaris disease, is a significant pathogen of many freshwater fish species worldwide and is considered one of the most important pathogens impacting the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus Rafinesque) industry in the United States. Recent research has demonstrated that F. columnare exhibits a chemotactic response to mucus from the skin of cat...

Yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco) is one of the most important freshwater aquaculture species in China. However, its small size and lower meat yield limit its edible value. Myostatin (MSTN) is a negative regulator of mammalian muscle growth. But, the function of Mstn in fish remains elusive. To explore roles of mstn gene in fish growth and create a strain of yellow catfish with high amou...

We mapped the inferred long-distance migrations of four species of Amazonian goliath catfishes (Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii, B. platynemum, B. juruense and B. vaillantii) based on the presence of individuals with mature gonads and conducted statistical analysis of the expected long-distance downstream migrations of their larvae and juveniles. By linking the distribution of larval, juvenile and...

DNA vaccines had been widely used in animal models against various viral infections, while it was not so convincing for many infectious diseases especially bacterial disease in aquaculture. Interleukin-8(IL-8) as one of the CXC chemokines, its immunological role and adjuvant potential which had been proved in mammals were rarely reported in fish species. In this study, recombination plasmid pcD...

Evidence indicates that lateral-line fibers, other than those mediating the "spontaneous" activity of the lateral-line receptors, are brought into play in response to pressure stimuli in catfish and in trout. The distribution and mode of stimulation of mechanoreceptors along the lateral-lines of trout and catfish are discussed in relation to the natural activities of these forms.

Survivorship to ESC (enteric septicemia of catfish) varies among and within strains of commercially raised catfish, however the immunological basis for differences in susceptibility is not well-understood. We assessed the effect of pathogen challenge with Edwardsiella ictaluri on five genetic groups of catfish by measuring both phenotypic response (mortality, pathogen levels, specific growth ra...

Edwardsiella tarda is a Gram-negative facultative anaerobe causing disease in animals and humans. Here, we announce the complete genome sequence of the channel catfish isolate E. tarda strain C07-87, which was isolated from an outbreak of gastrointestinal septicemia on a commercial catfish farm.

Since 2009, a clonal group of virulent Aeromonas hydrophila strains has been causing severe disease in the catfish aquaculture industry in the southeastern United States. Here, we report draft genomes of four A. hydrophila isolates from catfish aquaculture that represent this clonal group.