STUDIES ON THE GROWTH OF FISH FUNGUS IN

DIFFERENT CULTURE MEDIA AND THEIR CHEMICAL

CONTROL
PRACHEE RAJPUT, REKHA CHAUHAN*
Department of Zoology & Applied Aquaculture
Barkatullah University, Bhopal (462026)
regal228@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION
Ornamental fishes suffer from various diseases, most of them caused by different
fungi which grow on their bodies. Fungal infection in fish was first reported during
the mid 18th century (Arderon, 1748) and the credit of chemical control of fish
mycoses goes to Scale (1928) who demonstrated the application of Murcurochrome in
controlling fungal infection in fishes.
OBJECTIVE
The research is done to measure the comparative growths of fish fungi (causing infections in
(Carrasius auratus) in different culture media and their chemical control using Formalin.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total number of 12 gold fishes (Carrasius auratus) were collected from different pet
shops of Bhopal in the period of three months, September 2014 to November 2014.
All the fishes were showed external symptoms of fungal growth on body in form of
cottony tufts and in some fishes parts of body was found covered with lesions and
inflammation caused due to fungal attack.
All the cultures were prepared on different agar media and incubated in B.O.D
incubator.
Cultures were prepared on: S.P.S Agar Medium
Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA)
Corn Meal Agar (CMA)
Innoculation was done in Laminar flow in sterilized conditions.
Growth of colony was observed in 3-4 days. For full growth of colony plates were
kept for 8-10 days for incubation.
These petridishes were incubated at 28.0C to 30.0C temperature.
Four different concentrations of Formalin were used; these were 5mlL, 10mlL ,
20mlL and 40mlL .

 Percentage inhibition = (T-C) x 100/T

Where, C = colony diameter (mm) of the control
T = colony diameter (mm) of the test plate.

CONCLUSION

Colonial radial growth and sporulation were optimal on S.P.S followed by CMA and PDA.
Fusarium showed highest resistant towards Formalin unlike other fungi. In the present
investigation, the following results were found out:
Penicillium was accidentally found which can only be grown on S.P.S medium; it didnt grow
on any other medium.
In vitro studies of Formalin against the growth of fungi showed that the used chemical can
inhibit the growth of fungal genera isolated but only in considerable high concentrations.
In conclusion, isolated fungi from diseased and apparently healthy fish C. auratus, are
considered normal mycoflora but these are responsible to produce diseases under particular
conditions. Thus, these need more attention from the health point of view of ornamental fish.