Fish Garra Rufa Research Articles

The first record of a stygobiotic form of Garra rufa (Heckel, 1843), sympatric with Garra tashanensis Mousavi-Sabet, Vatandoust, Fatemi & Eagderi, 2016 (Teleostei, Cyprinidae), in Iranian subterranean waters

We report the first finding of the stygobiotic form of the cyprinid fish Garra rufa (Heckel, 1843), discovered in a single locality in southwestern Iran, while the epigean form of the species is widely distributed in western Asia (Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Syria). We also report a new locality for its hypogean congener, Garra tashanensis, about 5 km east of its type locality. The two species occur in syntopy in outflows of the Tang-e-Ban, a seasonal karstic spring that only has flowing water during winter and spring, when fish individuals are washed from the cave to the surface. Identification of the investigated samples was confirmed by morphological analyses, COI distances, and a phylogenetic tree. These findings suggest the existence of a large karst aquifer in the Tashan area that harbours several cave species of fish, crustaceans, and gastropods and may have considerable conservation implications.

Bilateral symmetric ankles and feet cellulitis after fish pedicure: Case report and review of the literature

Fish pedicure (feet immersion in a tank containing fish Garra rufa or Cyprinion macrostomus) is a widely diffuse cosmetic practice, usually considered safe. However, this practice is regulated only in a few Countries, and the risk of infection related to this practice is not quantified. We report a case of bilateral symmetric ankles and feet cellulitis in a previously healthy young woman without risk factors for infections, after a fish pedicure in Greece. Three cases of foot infection after fish pedicure have been described in the English literature, two sustained by S. aureus and one by Mycobacterium marinum, but none of them was so extensive, involving not only feet but also ankles. The practice of the aesthetic fish pedicure should be regulated in all Countries to reduce the risk of complications related to this procedure. Moreover, studies targeted at investigating the risk of infection associated with this procedure are warranted. Keywords: Fish pedicure; Cosmetic procedure; Cellulitis; Risk infection.

Effects of thymol and carvacrol anesthesia on the electrocardiographic and behavioral responses of the doctor fish Garra rufa

The present study examined the anesthetic efficiency and electrocardiographic and behavioral responses of the doctor fish Garra rufa anesthetized with thymol and carvacrol. Fish were subjected to anesthetic baths in five different concentrations of the thymol (25, 50, 75, 100, and 150 mg L−1) and carvacrol (25, 50, 75, 100, and 150 μL L−1). Induction and recovery times were recorded for each fish separately, and 10 fish were used per anesthetic concentration. Video tracking and processing were performed for each anesthetic to obtain changes in behavioral parameters between anesthetic concentrations. Thereafter, a different experiment was established for cardiographic evaluations, and necessary electrocardiographic (ECG) records were obtained in 5 fish. At the end of the experiments, all tested thymol and carvacrol concentrations effectively induced anesthesia in G. rufa. Video tracking analyses demonstrated that G. rufa did not exhibit any changes in behavioral parameters when submitted to 25–50 mg L−1 concentrations of thymol compared to anesthetic-free water. However, movement distance and mobility significantly increased with increasing carvacrol concentrations. We found that high concentrations of thymol (150 mg L−1) and carvacrol (100 and 150 μL L−1) caused avoidance behaviors in G. rufa. ECG recordings showed that heart rate decreased, and PR and QT intervals were prolonged with increased thymol concentrations. Thymol concentrations did not affect PQ intervals. No significant changes in ECG parameters were observed with carvacrol. These results demonstrated that concentrations of 25 and 50 mg L−1 thymol and 50 μL L−1 carvacrol can be used for general aquaculture procedures, and 100 mg L−1 thymol and 75 μL L−1 carvacrol can be used as rapid anesthesia in G. rufa.

Doctor fish, beauty centres and public health: three keywords for a possible marriage to respect fish welfare and human health

Doctor fish, beauty centres and public health: three keywords for a possible marriage to respect fish welfare and human health

Insights on the Reproduction and Embryonic Development of Garra rufa (Cyprinidae)

Event Abstract Back to Event Insights on the Reproduction and Embryonic Development of Garra rufa (Cyprinidae) Mónica R S Gomes1, Mafalda M R S Catarino1, Sílvia C Gonçalves1, 2 and Susana M F Ferreira1, 3* 1 MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, School of Tourism and Maritime Technology, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, Portugal 2 MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, Portugal 3 CFE - Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Portugal Garra rufa is a small freshwater benthopelagic cyprinid, originally from Southwest Asia, which has become economically relevant during the last decade. G. rufa is a worthy element to control algae growth in aquariophilia, but it is mostly known for its use in treatments of skin problems in spa’s and clinics. It was made an attempt to reproduce G. rufa in captivity, in order to respond to an increasing marketing demand for this fish, plus to get an insight on its reproductive biology and embryonic development. Groups of 5 G. rufa were inserted in twelve aquaria of 20 l, with an internal filter, aeration and placed in a controlled temperature room at 26ºC. A net placed 1.5 cm above the bottom prevented the fish from eating their own eggs. The fishes were fed three times per day and checked for the presence of eggs. The eggs were removed, placed on separate aquaria and photographed hourly at a Leica DM2000LED compound microscope, equipped with a Leica DMC2900 camera G. rufa showed almost no sexual dimorphism, except for the presence of tubercles on the snout of males, which appeared only during the reproduction period. Males were larger than females and executed high velocity persecutions after them. In a total of 28 postures, only 17 resulted in newly born fish. This was mostly due to fungal development around the eggs that caused the embryos to degenerate. There was a hatching success of 60%. The eggs showed no adhesive properties, being deposited on the bottom. The most prominent structures of the embryos were noticeable after: 3h - tail bud; 6h - optic primordium; 10h - heart beating; 15h - pectoral fins buds. They hatched between 24 to 48h and the larvae consumed the yolk sac in 48h. Acknowledgements This work was developed in the scope of the project “SpaGaRufa – Production of the fish Garra rufa for therapeutic purposes”, an Ignition Fund INOV C, co-financed by the Operational Programme of the Centre Region (+ CENTRO), National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN 2007-2013) and the European Fund for Regional Development, developed by GIRM-IPL – Group of Investigation in Marine Resources from the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria. Keywords: Aquaculture, Doctor fish, Growth, Embryonic Development, Cyprinid Conference: XV European Congress of Ichthyology, Porto, Portugal, 7 Sep - 11 Sep, 2015. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Physiology, Behavior and Toxicology Citation: R S Gomes M, M R S Catarino M, C Gonçalves S and M F Ferreira S (2015). Insights on the Reproduction and Embryonic Development of Garra rufa (Cyprinidae). Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XV European Congress of Ichthyology. doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2015.03.00085 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 12 Nov 2015; Published Online: 17 Nov 2015. * Correspondence: Prof. Susana M F Ferreira, CFE - Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3001-401, Portugal, susana.ferreira@ipleiria.pt Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract Supplemental Data The Authors in Frontiers Mónica R S Gomes Mafalda M R S Catarino Sílvia C Gonçalves Susana M F Ferreira Google Mónica R S Gomes Mafalda M R S Catarino Sílvia C Gonçalves Susana M F Ferreira Google Scholar Mónica R S Gomes Mafalda M R S Catarino Sílvia C Gonçalves Susana M F Ferreira PubMed Mónica R S Gomes Mafalda M R S Catarino Sílvia C Gonçalves Susana M F Ferreira Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Estimation of the ideal dosage and feeding frequency for Garra rufa (Cyprinidae)

Event Abstract Back to Event Estimation of the ideal dosage and feeding frequency for Garra rufa (Cyprinidae) Mafalda M. R. S. Catarino1, Mónica R. S. Gomes1, Sílvia C. Gonçalves1, 2 and Susana M. F. Ferreira1, 3* 1 MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, School of Tourism and Maritime Technology, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, Portugal 2 MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, Portugal 3 CFE - Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Portugal Garra rufa are widely used in skin treatments at beauty and wellness institutes. This freshwater species is native from Eurasia and has a large distribution area, including river basins in Turkey and Iran. It has a high commercial value and arouse interest among fish farmers. Even so, G. rufa methods of production are still unknown. In fact, aspects that sustain a rapid and healthy growth of these fish need to be investigated, like an adequate daily dose and feeding frequency. This work aimed to establish: 1) the optimal feed dose per day, correspondent to the amount necessary for obtaining satiation, with a commercial granulated food; and 2) the optimal frequency of feeding for intensive production of G. rufa in Aquaculture. A total of 60 fishes underwent a 3 weeks acclimation period in laboratory, distributed by 6 aquaria, containing 10 fishes with similar body weight and length. The animals were initially fed with a dose correspondent to 10% of their body weight. This dose was gradually increased until complete satiation of the fishes. An optimal dose of 0.04 g fish-1 day-1 was found. Afterwards, the same fishes went through a 1 month experimental trial to evaluate the ideal feeding frequency. Fish growth was compared between feeding 0.2 g twice per day and 0.1333 g three times per day. Variations in size (total and fork length), plus body weight were evaluated at the end of the trial. One-Way ANOVA procedures revealed that the variations in weight and in fork length were similar between treatments, but the variation in total length was significantly higher with 3 daily feeding moments (p<0.05). In conclusion, the present results showed that the optimal dose that ensures satiation for G. rufa is 0.04 g fish-1 day-1 and that 3 daily feeding moments promotes higher growth rates. Acknowledgements This work was developed in the scope of the project “SpaGaRufa – Production of the fish Garra rufa for therapeutic purposes”, an Ignition Fund INOV C, co-financed by the Operational Programme of the Centre Region (+ CENTRO), National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN 2007-2013) and the European Fund for Regional Development, developed by GIRM-IPL – Group of Investigation in Marine Resources from the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria. Keywords: Aquaculture, Diet, Doctor fish, Growth, ad libitum Conference: XV European Congress of Ichthyology, Porto, Portugal, 7 Sep - 11 Sep, 2015. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Physiology, Behavior and Toxicology Citation: Catarino M, Gomes M, Gonçalves S and Ferreira S (2015). Estimation of the ideal dosage and feeding frequency for Garra rufa (Cyprinidae). Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XV European Congress of Ichthyology. doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2015.03.00076 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 11 Nov 2015; Published Online: 17 Nov 2015. * Correspondence: Prof. Susana M. F. Ferreira, MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, School of Tourism and Maritime Technology, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, Peniche, 2520-641, Portugal, susana.ferreira@ipleiria.pt Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Mafalda M. R. S. Catarino Mónica R. S. Gomes Sílvia C. Gonçalves Susana M. F. Ferreira Google Mafalda M. R. S. Catarino Mónica R. S. Gomes Sílvia C. Gonçalves Susana M. F. Ferreira Google Scholar Mafalda M. R. S. Catarino Mónica R. S. Gomes Sílvia C. Gonçalves Susana M. F. Ferreira PubMed Mafalda M. R. S. Catarino Mónica R. S. Gomes Sílvia C. Gonçalves Susana M. F. Ferreira Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

O papel da ictioterapia no tratamento da psoríase: relato de caso

Introduction: Psoriasis is a common condition affecting 1 to 3% of the Portuguese population. It has a chronic course and lesions may cover the whole surface of the skin. With obviously visible lesions, the disease is seen as stigmatizing and patients may feel embarrassment and rejection by others. It can affect social contacts, self-image, and self-esteem. Treatment aims at reducing the number and severity of skin lesions using phototherapy, topical treatment and systemic medications. Some treatments may be contraindicated, some may lose efficacy, some cause serious adverse effects, while others may not be readily available. All this may cause patients to seek alternative therapies. Icthyotherapy, using the freshwater fish Garra rufa, has been discussed as an option. This treatment is currently available in several places in Portugal and deserves the attention of health professionals. Case description: A 35 year-old sailor with severe psoriasis diagnosed in childhood is described. He was treated by a dermatologist and a psychologist. He presented with lesions covering 60% of the skin surface, resistant to multiple treatments, and was receiving only topical therapy. He had recently been given systemic acitretin with good results during treatment but with recurrence of lesions when treatment ended. When he came to the family health unit he was discouraged by his current condition and doubtful about the possibilities for future treatment. He mentioned that he had seen icthyotherapy in a shopping centre and expressed interest in trying it. After five sessions of icthyotherapy, with total immersion of the body in a water tank and simultaneous application of calcipotriol and betamethasone, he noted a reduction in scaling and itching. He also noted an improvement in his mood and was satisfied with the early results of treatment. Comments: Icthyotherapy may be useful in refractory and disfiguring cases of psoriasis. This case also demonstrates benefits of its use. It appears to be safe. There are a few reports of cases of patients with skin infections from exposure to G. rufa.

Isolation of Streptococcus agalactiae and an aquatic birnavirus from doctor fish Garra rufa L

BackgroundThe doctor fish, Garra rufa, has become increasingly popular as a treatment for skin disorders and for pedicures in recent years. Despite this there is very little information available regarding the welfare of these fish and the range of potential pathogens they may carry. In this study, a group of fish suffering from post-transport mortalities were examined and the isolated pathogens identified.FindingsGroup B Streptococcus agalactiae was isolated from kidney swabs of the fish and found to be resistant to a number of antibiotics. In addition to this, a fish virus belonging to the aquabirnavirus group, serogroup C was isolated for the first time in Ireland. However, no clinical signs of disease typical of bacterial or viral infections were observed in any fish examined.ConclusionsAs no clinical signs of disease attributable to either of the pathogens identified were found it was concluded that the mortalities were most likely due to transport related stress exacerbated by the presence of the pathogens. Further work is required to assess the suitability of current transport strategies and to examine the potential risk associated with the transport of live ornamental fish.

Do lower feeding rates result in reduced growth of a cyprinid fish infected with the Asian tapeworm?

Ecology of Freshwater FishVolume 21, Issue 2 p. 172-175 Letter Do lower feeding rates result in reduced growth of a cyprinid fish infected with the Asian tapeworm? J. Robert Britton, J. Robert Britton Centre for Conservation Ecology & Environmental Change, Bournemouth University, Poole, BH12 5BB, UKSearch for more papers by this authorJosephine Pegg, Josephine Pegg Centre for Conservation Ecology & Environmental Change, Bournemouth University, Poole, BH12 5BB, UKSearch for more papers by this authorDavid Baker, David Baker Centre for Conservation Ecology & Environmental Change, Bournemouth University, Poole, BH12 5BB, UKSearch for more papers by this authorChris F. Williams, Chris F. Williams Environment Agency, Bromholme Lane, Brampton, Cambridgeshire, PE28 4NE, UKSearch for more papers by this author J. Robert Britton, J. Robert Britton Centre for Conservation Ecology & Environmental Change, Bournemouth University, Poole, BH12 5BB, UKSearch for more papers by this authorJosephine Pegg, Josephine Pegg Centre for Conservation Ecology & Environmental Change, Bournemouth University, Poole, BH12 5BB, UKSearch for more papers by this authorDavid Baker, David Baker Centre for Conservation Ecology & Environmental Change, Bournemouth University, Poole, BH12 5BB, UKSearch for more papers by this authorChris F. Williams, Chris F. Williams Environment Agency, Bromholme Lane, Brampton, Cambridgeshire, PE28 4NE, UKSearch for more papers by this author First published: 08 February 2012 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0633.2012.00551.xCitations: 6 Dr. Robert Britton, Centre for Conservation Ecology & Environmental Change, Bournemouth University, Poole, BH12 5BB, UK. E-mail: rbritton@bournemouth.ac.uk Read the full textAboutRelatedInformationPDFPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessClose modalShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Citing Literature Volume21, Issue2April 2012Pages 172-175 RelatedInformation RecommendedRelationship between Length of Roundtail Chub and Infection Intensity of Asian Fish Tapeworm Bothriocephalus acheilognathiMark J. Brouder, Journal of Aquatic Animal HealthAsian Fish Tapeworm Bothriocephalus acheilognathi in the Desert Southwestern United StatesThomas P. Archdeacon, Alison Iles, Jason S. Kline, Scott A. Bonar, Journal of Aquatic Animal HealthNovel Praziquantel Treatment Regime for Controlling Asian Tapeworm Infections in Pond‐Reared FishAlison C. Iles, Thomas P. Archdeacon, Scott A. Bonar, North American Journal of AquacultureEffects of Praziquantel on Eggs of the Asian Tapeworm Bothriocephalus acheilognathiS. Jason Kline, Thomas P. Archdeacon, Scott A. Bonar, North American Journal of AquacultureOptimization of feeding quantity and frequency to rear the cyprinid fish Garra rufa (Heckel, 1843)Mafalda M. R. S. Catarino, Mónica R. S. Gomes, Susana M. F. Ferreira, Sílvia C. Gonçalves, Aquaculture Research

Mortality of therapeutic fish Garra rufa caused by Aeromonas sobria

Objective To investigate a case of mass mortality of Garra rufa ( G. rufa) from a fish hatchery farm in Slovakia. Methods Causative bacterial agent was swabbing out of affected fish skin area and subsequently identified using commercial test system. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined by the disk diffusion method. Results Infected G. rufa was characterized by abnormal swimming behaviour, bleeding of skin lesions and local haemorrhages. Despite of using recommended aquatic antibiotic treatment no improvement was achieved and Aeromonas sobria ( A. sobria) was identified as a causative agent of fish mortality. Due to massive fish mortality, antibiotic susceptibility of pure isolated culture of A. sobria was evaluated employing eight antibiotics against human infections. A. sobria was resistant only against one antibiotic, namely ampicilin. Conclusions These results indicate that A. sobria can act as a primary pathogen of G. rufa and may be a potential risk factor for immunodeficient or immunoincompetent patients during the ichthyotherapy.