maria hayward
PAULA REYNOLDS
The Axilla or armpit is a good place to take a mucus smear
reproduce. Each species various in physiology and lifestyle and it is this that complicates chemical control methods. With a microscope there is no need to
expose koi to undesirable chemicals and their side effects, unless there is a genuine need to treat the pond for parasites. In the long term the money saved on chemicals is nothing compared to koi living a natural lifestyle free of risk posed by chemically based pond remedies. In addition, the pond and filter biology is preserved, which is also important for the support and well being of koi.
white spot Ichthyophthirius multifiliis is the best known
ecto-parasite (external) found affecting koi. Commonly known as White spot this organism thrives in the same environments as most coldwater fish. The parasite is carried by healthy koi and is easily triggered by water temperature changes. Consequently it is often seen infecting koi soon after transportation, even if the supplier of the koi does not have an outbreak.
The benefits of using the microscope are
evident during outbreaks as each stage of the life cycle of the parasite can be fully observed. White spot can be seen with the naked eye if there are many mature cysts on the skin and then it resembles salt sprinkled over the body. At a magnification of X100 the parasite is visible but at X400, the clarity improves so that the daughter cells inside the encysted white spot cell can be seen. When this organism ruptures these
daughter cells, invade the water and go through various stages before taking up residence on the skin again as tomites. They then mature to form the encysted and final stage of the lifecycle. The powerhouse of the cell is the white
horseshoe shaped nucleus, although the teeming life in the cell often obscures this. The encysted white cell spins clockwise by means of cilia as it feeds from debris on the body. When spinning stops the cell is about to rupture. Water temperature influences the rate at which the parasite replicates and, commonly, two or three chemical treatments
With wet hands hold the fish gently but securely to take the smear
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JULY 2010 21
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