Abstract:
The freshwater ornamental fish industry is one of the economically important, home entertainment
industry in the world. During the last few decades, the ornamental fish industry in Sri Lanka has
become one of the highest potential exporters in the global market. However, fish diseases are one
of the major constraints to the failure of the ornamental industry. To avoid economic losses and to
prevent disease outbreaks proper identification and diagnosis of fish diseases are crucial. Hence,
this study was aimed to evaluate the present status of farmer’s knowledge of fish disease;
management measures to avoid disease outbreaks and prevalence of fish diseases with seasonal and
regional variation in the freshwater ornamental fish industry. Sixty farmers cultivating various
ornamental fish were selected using stratified and simple random sampling techniques from the
National Aquaculture Development Authority (NAQDA) website. Data were collected using a
telephone-interviewed method through a pretested questionnaire survey. Collected data were
analyzed using the descriptive statistical methods in SPSS. . Major disease incidence caused by
parasites (33.57%), followed by bacterial (23.57%), fungal (16.43%), viral (5%), and non-
infectious diseases (21.43%). The most frequently observed disease was white spot disease
(11.4%), followed by Columnaris (10.8%), Dactylogyrus sp. (9.5%), and fin rot (8.9%). The
prevalence of fish diseases varied with season. The average prevalence of fish diseases was highest
in the southwest monsoon period (49%). Common treatment methods that farmers used to treat the
diseases were isolation (20.9%), water exchange (19.9%), adding salt (15.7%), methylene blue
(13.6%), copper sulphate (11.5%), and antibiotics (7.1%). However, most of the farmers were able
to identify diseases by using behavioral changes (40.5%) and symptoms (37.3%) although they
were incapable of recognizing the disease-causing agents. Preventive and prophylactic measures
were practiced by 91% of the farmers, the majority of them tend to find solutions through online
sources, and some of them get advice from either colleagues or veterinarians. Furthermore,
insufficient materials or lacks of awareness regarding fish diseases prevent farmers from gaining
new reference knowledge. Thus, the results obtained from this study can be used to fill the
knowledge gap by developing an awareness tool that enhances their knowledge on fish health
management.
Keywords: Ornamental fish; Fish Disease; Seasonal variation; Awareness tool
