Efficacy of different anaesthetics for pikeperch (Sander lucioperca L.) in relation to water temperature.

Objectives: The objectives of the study were to compare the different doses of clove oil, Propiscin, and tricaine methane sulphonate (MS 222) in relation to water temperature in pikeperch aquaculture.

Design: For assessment of this experiment 168 fish (10.77 ± 0.59 cm total body length and 7.88 ± 1.74 g body weight) were used. Three different anaesthetic treatments (Propiscin, clove oil and MS 222) were used. Three doses of each anaesthetic treatment (Propiscin: 0.5; 1; 1.5 ml x L(-1), clove oil: 15; 30; 60 mg x L(-1), MS 222: 50; 100; 150 mg x L(-1)) were compared at three different temperatures 9.5; 15.5 and 23 degrees C.

Results: In comparison of these doses of anaesthetic in different temperature, the significantly shortest time to attain phase A7 (total complete anaesthesia) was observed for Propiscin (1.5 ml L(-1)) 0:31 ± 0:04 min (23 degrees C) to 0:33 ± 0:25 min (9.5 degrees C) compared to MS 222 (150 mg x L(-1)) 1:04 ± 0:21 min (23 degrees C) to 1:54 ± 0:32 min (9.5 degrees C) and clove oil (60 mg x L(-1)) 1:05 ± 0:17 min (23 degrees C) to 3:05 ± 0:31 min (9.5 degrees C). On the other hand, the longest time of anaesthesia recovery was attained using Propiscin (1.5 ml x L(-1)) 10:35 ± 1:40 min (23 degrees C) to 32:30 ± 1:10 min (9.5 degrees C) compared to clove oil (60 mg x L(-1)) 2:39 ± 0:50 min (23 degrees C) to 9:36 ± 2:34 min (60 mg x L(-1), 9.5 degrees C) and MS 222 (150 mg x L(-1)) 2:26 ± 1:27 min (23 degrees C) to 4:59 ± 0:39 min (9.5 degrees C).

Conclusions: The results from this study showed that the optimal and sufficient doses in all tested temperatures for pikeperch are 30 mg x L(-1) of clove oil, 100 mg x L(-1) of MS 222 and 0.5 ml x L(-1) of Propiscin.