Amyloodiniosis in farmed Sardinella brasiliensis (Steindachner, 1879): Case report of successful therapeutic control with copper sulfate

Brazilian sardine is emerging as a promising species in Aquaculture. This study describes for the first time a case of parasitic infestation by Amyloodinium in Brazilian sardines Sardinella brasiliensis obtained from natural spawning in captivity. The sardines kept in nurseries were naturally parasitized by the amylodiniosis causative agente the dynoflagellate A. ocellatum with high mortalities above 50%. Fish presented clinical signs characteristic of amyloodiniosis which included easily perceived behavioral changes such as loss of appetite, scraping of the body against objects, walls and bottom, nursery pipes, agglomerations near the aerators and water inlets, presented with accelerated opercular beating and erratic swimming. For therapeutic treatment copper sulfate was used for 10 days. At the end of the treatment period the fish had no clinical signs or presence of the parasite on the body surface, indicating that the application of copper sulfate in concentration of 0.2 mg L-1 of Cu+ was effective to control this parasite, apparently without causing damage to Brazilian sardine.