A Bolooki - Veterinary Faculty, Shahid Chamran University
R Peyghan,
M.A Ghorbanpour
B Mohamadian

Objective: Aeromonas hydrophila has been recovered from a wide range of freshwater fish species worldwide. There was not any report about the Aeromonas, Vibrio and Mycobacterium infection of aquarium fishes of Ahvaz. This study was carried out to determine the health status of four important species of aquarium fishes (Poecilia reticulate, Cheirodon axeliodi, Poecilia sp. and Carassius auratus) in Ahvaz. Method & Materials: For this purpose 120 fish (each species 30 specimens) were bought from local markets and transferred to the laboratory. First, the skin and gills was inspected, then the body cavity was opened and bacterial infection was studied by culture on TSA, TCBS and Lowenstein –Jensen. The media were incubated at 25ºC and after gram staining, catalase and oxidase tests, the other appropriate biochemical tests were carried out on pure grown colonies. Samples from kidney, liver and gills of infected fish were taken and histopathologic sections were prepared and stained with hematoxilin and eosin. Results & Conclusion: Six fish of 30 Cardinal tetra, were infected with Aeromonas spp. (4 with Aeromonas hydrophila and 2 with A. sobria). Nine fish of 30 Carassius auratus were infected with Aeromonas spp. (3 with A. hydrophila and 6 with A. sobria). Ten fish of 30 Poecilia sp. were infected with Aeromonas spp. (2 with Aeromonas cavia, 6 with Aeromonas sobria and 2 with Aeromonas hydrophila). Six fish of 30 Poecilia reticulate were infected with Aeromonas spp. (5 with Aeromonas hydrophila and 2 with Aeromonas sobria). Neither Vibrie spp nor Mycobactrium spp were detected or isolated in these fish species. The histopathologic lesions were determined for each cases. In conclusion, it seems aquarium fishes of Ahvaz were infected with dangerous pathogens such as Mycobacteria and Vibrios but totally from 25.8% of studied fishes Aeromonas sp. Was isolated which can not be a public health hazard.

Aeromonas, Vibrio, Mycobacteria, Ahvaz, Aquarium fish