title: Catfish hybrid Ictalurus punctatus × I. furcatus exhibits higher resistance to columnaris disease than the parental species.
abstract: We present experimental data on susceptibility to columnaris disease, caused by the bacterium Flavobacterium columnare, in hybrid catfish (female channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus × male blue catfish I. furcatus) (C×B). Under our experimental conditions, C×B hybrids were significantly more resistant to columnaris disease caused by the highly virulent strain of F. columnare BGFS-27 (genomovar II) than channel catfish and blue catfish. Channel and blue catfish cumulative mortalities after immersion challenge were 74 and 87%, respectively, whereas mortality in the C×B hybrid was 31%. Susceptibility to the strain ARS-1 (genomovar I) was lower among all catfishes, although channel catfish was the least resistant species at 32% cumulative mortality. By contrast, C×B hybrid and blue catfishes were strongly resistant to the ARS-1 strain, with <10% mortality. Our data suggest enhanced disease resistance of the C×B hybrid to columnaris disease.
authors.affiliation: Aquatic Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures, 253 Upchurch Hall, Auburn University, Alabama 36849, USA. ariascr@auburn.edu
authors.forename: Covadonga R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Arias
authors.forename: Wenlong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Peatman
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Bullard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality; D045826:Flavobacteriaceae Infections / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary*; D005417:Flavobacterium / Q000145:classification*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D007059:Ictaluridae / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors