Diseases of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus VALENCIENNES, 1844) in China, a Review from 1953 to 1983

Abstract

A review is briefly made for the research on the diseases of grass carp from 1953 to 1983 in China. Grass carp which is one of the four famous Chinese “farm fish” is particularly important freshwater fish in China. However, it is most susceptible to various kinds of diseases so far we know in China. The pathogens included viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoan, worms, crustaceans, algae and larvae of molluscs. Besides, some kinds of diseases were cuased by non-living factors. For the widely epidemical diseases, they have been studied on etiology, epidemiology and prevention and cure. Some good results for controlling most of these diseases have been obtained. For preventive culture of grass carp, comprehensive measures of technical management were applied. Recently, we have found that hygenic surrounding like rice fields are good places to prevent grass carp's diseases, in the meantime the weed eating grass carp helps rice plant to preserve the energy wasted by the weeds. A mutural relationship between rice plant and grass carp has well been established recently in China. Extensive works were carried out for the investigation of parasites of grass carp. 127 species of parasites have been discovered from this kind of fish, among them 73 were new species and two new families were suggested.