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(Don't worry about the dates that appear at the top of this page. Jeff is speaking at IMAC June 4, 5 and 6, 2004)
Jeff Mitchell is Senior Lead Aquarist and Diver at the Shedd Aquarium, where he has worked in husbandry since 1995. Currently, his responsibilities include the husbandry of frogs, seahorses, and reptiles.
Jeff's research interests are in Central and South American reptiles and amphibians. He taught classes to staff, volunteers, and the public on seahorses, reptiles, and aquatic systems. His presentations include his work with the Mountain Chicken, an endangered frog found on the Caribbean Islands of Dominica and Monserrat. He also has presented papers and talks on seahorses including the husbandry and international coordination of a seahorse-breeding program.
Jeff is currently serving as AZA Marine Fish Tag Chair-Syngnathids. Jeff graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Biology from Calumet College of Saint Joseph. He is a licensed SCUBA assistant instructor
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| Jeff has presented papers
and talks on seahorses, including the husbandry and internation coordination
of a seahorse breeding program. |
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ABSTRACT:
Diseases in Hippocampus: A Current Look at Diagnosis and Treatment
The seahorse, Hippocampus sp., is highly regarded as a popular aquarium display animal as well as an important economic resource for many individuals worldwide. Attempts to keep these fish in aquaria have met with limited success until recently. More and more, seahorses are becoming a popular display animal for public aquaria. Their value as a flagship species for promoting conservation is almost unrivaled in the marine community.
Because of these issues, Project Seahorse and the Shedd Aquarium have teamed up to help promote global conservation. Working with governments, fishers, collectors, traditional medicine practitioners, and others to promote the sustained use of seahorses has been a large goal of this project. Another main goal is to develop and learn more about the natural history and husbandry of seahorses.
Many species of the seahorse and other syngnathids (notably Pychodurus and Phyllopteryx) have been kept at the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois for the past six years. During this time, diagnosis and treatment of seahorses has become more and more successful.
This talk will focus on current diagnosis and treatment of the four main diseases found in seahorses: Mycobacteria, Vibriosis, Gas Bubble Disease (GBD) and tail rot. As we continue to understand and diagnosis and treat these diseases, it will only improve our success in captive aquaculture of this genus.
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