Parasitosis of short-finned eel, Anguilla australis schmidti, in Taiwan

In Taiwan, a local fish farm had imported 300 short-finned eels, Anguilla australis schmidti, from an unknown country. The infected eels showed anorrhexia, poor appetite, lost of activity, and a decreased escape-reaction. In five weeks, about 130 short-finned eels died. The total mortality was above 43% (130/300). The results of necropsy of the eels included petechial hemorrhages on the surface of the stomach serosa and serious atrophy of fat tissue. Simultaneously, adult red worms were discovered in the peritoneal cavity, abdominal wall, organs, and intestinal serosa of those diseased eels. Identification of parasites revealed five different species of parasites: Anisakis sp., Eustrongyloides sp., Echinorhynchus gadi, Lepidopus caudatus, and Brachyphallus crenatu. This is the first case of multiple internal parasite infection in cultured short-finned eels in Taiwan.