Ornamental fish are usually euthanised using an overdose of anaesthetic diluted in the water. However, in Switzerland, there are currently no drugs registered for euthanasia of fish. The aforementioned drugs can therefore only be imported from abroad by vets. As only a few Swiss vets are working with fish, it is difficult for pet owners to ensure that sick ornamental fish are euthanised promptly and professionally.
It is known that clove oil mixed with ethanol is a suitable method for anaesthetising fish. An overdose of this solution is also used in various countries to euthanise fish. However, there is little published information on the suitability of the method and the optimal dosages to achieve the desired effect.
The objective of the study is to test euthanasia with clove oil on four different fish species phylogenetically very different from one another and broadly kept as freshwater ornamental fish in Switzerland: goldfish (Carassius auratus), bristlenose catfish (Ancistrus spp.), midas cichlid (Amphilophus citrinellus), and three-spot gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus).
Contact: Livia Brülhart; Lara Czichelski ; Gary Delalay; Nicolas Diserens
