Thread collection technique in aquaculture systems as an effective and non-invasive parasitological diagnosis for the study of monogenean parasites
Keywords:
Cotton threads, helminths, fish, in vitroAbstract
This paper presents a comprehensive review of the technique for collecting monogenean eggs using cotton threads over the last 20 years. This non-invasive method is crucial for studying parasites in fish of importance to aquaculture. Aquaculture is one of the most important productive sectors worldwide. However, the intensification of production systems and high demand have led to increased stocking densities, making fish more susceptible to parasitic diseases. The most prominent of these are those caused by parasites with a direct life cycle, such as monogeneans. These ectoparasitic helminths attach to the skin and gills, causing high mortality rates and substantial economic losses. To date, the life cycles of many monogenean parasites remain unknown, hindering effective prevention and control of their developmental stages. In this context, the cotton thread technique has been developed as a tool for collecting eggs to obtain larvae, avoiding the sacrifice of farmed fish for study. It consists of attaching 20 cm of cotton thread to the tank's aerator, removing the thread after 6 hours to observe the eggs under a stereomicroscope, and incubating the eggs in an aqueous medium to obtain larvae, primarily of monogenean species. In Sinaloa, monogenean infections have been reported in emerging farmed marine fish species, including snapper (Lutjanus guttatus), Pacific white snook (Centropomus viridis), and pufferfish (Sphoeroides annulatus). In these cases, this technique has been used in 15 studies by researchers from various regional institutions.
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