2024 journal article
Investigating the etiology of ocular changes in Monodactylus argenteus housed in a shoaling ring exhibit
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
open access via avmajournals.avma.org (publisher PDF)
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
14. Life Below Water
(OpenAlex)
Source: ORCID
Added: October 1, 2024
Abstract OBJECTIVE To evaluate the pathologic ocular changes in a population of aquarium-housed Monodactylus argenteus and investigate potential underlying causes for the large number of affected fish in this exhibit. ANIMALS 11 Monodactylus argenteus were evaluated from a shoaling ring exhibit within an aquarium, and 19 control fish without ocular abnormalities were obtained from commercial fish suppliers. METHODS Physical and ocular examinations were performed antemortem. Postmortem samples of liver, heart, dorsal epaxial muscle, and lenses of affected and control fish were analyzed for amino acid profiles. The aqueous humor from affected and control fish was collected postmortem, and osmolality was analyzed. Tissues from affected and control fish were submitted for histopathology. RESULTS Ocular abnormalities in affected fish included corneal lesions, cataracts, lens capsule rupture, and unilateral left-sided lens luxation and buphthalmos. Lens luxation and buphthalmos were directly correlated. Aqueous humor osmolality in control fish differed significantly compared to affected fish but was not correlated to lens abnormality score. Affected fish had significantly lower lens concentrations of arginine, asparagine, glycine, isoleucine, serine, and tyrosine than control fish. One affected fish had severe buphthalmos, cataracts, and panophthalmitis caused by gram-positive cocci. CONCLUSIONS Cataracts and traumatic lesions were common in affected M argenteus . Dietary amino acid content and aqueous humor osmolality imbalances were not likely a cause of the cataracts. Differences in lens amino acid concentrations between affected and control fish may be related to cataract formation. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Consideration of species-appropriate tank parameters may mitigate ocular lesions including cataracts in aquarium fish.