Effect of Droncit (Praziquantel) on Yellow GrubsClinostomum marginatumand Eye FlukesDiplostomum spathaceumin Channel Catfish

Abstract

Abstract Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus with infections of yellow grubs Clinostomum marginatum and eye flukes Diplostomum spathaceum were treated with 2 mg Droncit (praziquantel)/L in a water bath for 2 and 4 h. At the time of treatment, 80% of the fish had visible yellow grubs and 70% had opaque eyes. Fourteen days after treatment, 40.1% of the yellow grubs in the 2-h treatment were dead. No grubs were dead in the 4-h treatment; however, the number of yellow grubs was reduced in the treated fish. No dead eye flukes were seen in untreated fish after 14 d, but 59.2 and 44.4% of eye flukes in the 2- and 4-h treatments, respectively, were dead. At 21 d, the percentages of dead eye flukes were 86% (2 h) and 90.1% (4 h). Droncit had limited effect on yellow grubs in channel catfish, but the chemical had a beneficial effect of reducing numbers of eye flukes.