FATAL EPIDEMIC INTESTINAL DISEASE OF GOLDFISH. 
51 
NOTES ON A FATAL EPIDEMIC INTESTINAL 
DISEASE OF GOLDFISH. 
By R. Hamlyn-Harris, D.Sc., City Entomologist, Brisbane, and J. V. Duhig, M.B., 
Director, Brisbane and District Laboratory. 
(Plate IT.) 
The epidemic herein described occurred amongst “Comet,” “Pantail,” 
and “ Calico” Goldfish in the smaller aquaria of Mr. ,1. C. Brunnich, Agri- 
cultural Chemist. All developmental stages fell a prey to the disease. The 
tanks were well aerated, and had been in use for a long time, but it was only 
in those tanks where hard tap-water had been used to replenish the supply 
that the fish contracted the disease ; whilst in the larger outdoor ponds and 
tanks no infection seems to have taken place. Food consisting of white worms 
(Enchytras) reared in special containers ; scraped meat and artificial foods were 
given alternately. To understand the problem thoroughly, a further and more 
detailed examination of the actual waters involved is imperative. 
The aquarist is well aware that sudden fatal epidemics among fish are 
liable to occur at any time and without apparent cause. Sometimes deaths 
can be definitely traced to fungoid diseases, but more often than not the evil 
is deep-seated and is due to some other cause as yet only surmised. Prom 
time to time such epidemics have been noted, but in most cases death inter- 
venes before any preventive measures can be adopted, and sometimes all the 
inhabitants of an apparently, healthy aquarium die before the seriousness of the 
outbreak can be realised. 
In aquaria directly under my care, containing local fish and a few 
“ tropicals,” similar experiences have been frequent, and for some years now 
an opportunity has been sought of becoming better acquainted with fish diseases 
so as to enable a diagnosis to be made sufficiently early, to save considerable 
mortality, always so characteristic of such epidemics. 
In this particular case the symptoms are quite definite, so that it should 
be possible to detect the disease in the early stages of development. It is 
interesting in the first place to notice that there appears to be a seasonal 
appearance of such epidemics. 1 make this statement guardedly because as 
yet wc have very little idea as to the cause of the seasonal occurrence, and 
consequently because the disease seems to break out quite independently, in 
different adjoining aquaria at the same time almost to a day, it is seen to be 
very definite in its action and very deadly, the source of the Infection 
remaining as much as ever a mystery. 
