TRANSPORTATION OF LIVE FISHES 359 



them to recover from stress before they are loaded. The fish appear to 

 tolerate handling and transportation much better in saline solutions. 



The numbers of bacteria in a warmwater fish transport system should be 

 kept at a minimum level. Acriflavin at 1.0-2.0 parts per million (ppm), 

 Furacin at 5.0 ppm, and Combiotic at 15.0 ppm are effective bacteriostats 

 during transport. Although varying degrees of success have been attained 

 with the above compounds, sulfamerazine and terramycin are the only bac- 

 tericides currently registered for use on food fish. 



Anesthetics 



Experimentation with anesthetics and their effects on fish was most active 

 during the 1950's. The main benefit of anesthetics is to reduce the meta- 

 bolic activity of fish, which results in lower oxygen consumption, less car- 

 bon dioxide production, and reduced excretion of nitrogenous wastes. Such 

 drugs made it possible to transport trout at two to three times the normal 

 weight per volume of water. Their tranquilizing effects also reduce injury 

 to large or excitable fish when they are handled. 



Considerable care must be taken to assure that proper dosages of 

 anesthetics are used. Deep sedation (Table 39) is best for transported fish. 

 Deeper anesthesia produces partial to total loss of equilibrium, and fish 

 may settle to the bottom, become overcrowded, and suffocate. If pumps are 

 used to recycle water, anesthetized fish may be pulled against the intake 

 screen, preventing proper water circulation. 



Methane tricainesulfonate (MS-222) in a concentration of 0.1 gram 

 MS-222 per gallon of water, appears to be useful in transporting fish. 

 Reduced mortality of threadfin shad has been attained when the fish were 

 hauled in a T'o salt solution containing 1.0 gram MS-222 per gallon of 

 water. Concentrations of 0.5 and 1.0 gram MS-222 per gallon of water are 

 not suitable for routine use in the transportation of salmon because 

 anesthetized salmon have both a high oxygen consumption and a long 

 recovery time. 



Golden shiners have been transported successfully in 8.5 parts per mil- 

 lion sodium Seconal and smallmouth bass in 8.5 parts per million sodium 

 amytol. A pressurized air system was used in conjunction with the drugs. 

 However, caution is advised because drugs tend to lose their strength at 

 temperatures above 50°F. Fathead minnows have been transported safely in 

 2.3 parts per million sodium Seconal at 50°F. California Department of Fish 

 and Game personnel have reduced oxygen consumption by transported fish 

 with 8.5 parts per million sodium amytol. Oklahoma state personnel suc- 

 cessfully use a mixture of 2.0 parts per million guinaldine and 0.25% salt 

 for transporting a variety of fish. 



