Identification and removal of ectoparasite Amyloodinium ocellatum in Mugil cephalus in Chabahar region

Amyloodinium ocellatum parasite is the most important and common dinoflagellate parasite of fish. This ectoparasite penetrates the skin and gills, can caused to serious damage and suffocation or non-osmoregulation, in marine fishes. It also tolerate salinity and water temperature changes well and, due to its nonspecfic in host, quickly infects lot of brackish and saltwater and aquarium fishes. In this research deals with the mortality of gray mullet juveniles caused by the Amyloodinium parasite, which are cultured in the aquaculture workshop of the Offshore Fisheries Research Center for breeding. For investigate the cause to mortality, Amyloodinium ocellatum parasite was observed by light microscopy and wet smear from skin and gills. As soon as decrease of water temperature, which coincides with October in autumn, the conditions are provided for the occurrence of this parasite. The parasite was removed with a long-term bath of fresh water and formalin 200 ppm for 45 minutes and a short-term bath of copper sulfate 5 mg/l for 15 minutes daily after 5 to 7 days. However, inlet water disinfection and exchange tanks are necessary to remove tomonts.