I am a fisheries biologist and koi breeder located near to Houston, Texas on the Upper Texas Gulf Coast.
I work as a consulting biologist to aquatic resource and especially sport fishing interests. I also operate a koi breeding facility, producing champion quality koi.
Sometimes I go fishing, then occasionaly with my fly rod.
My purpose for posting here is to try and shed some light on the S.C. carp die-off.
I doubt very strongly that biologists in S.C. are correct in determining the cause of the die-off to be a bacterial infection such as Columnaris or Aeromonas. Columnaris affects most species of fish, not just carp.
The more likely candidate would be KHV (Koi Herpes Virus), a species specific virus that affect only common carp (Cyprinus carpio) which includes all koi.
This disease has been spreading across the globe for about the last 5 years. As recently as last fall there were huge, nation wide carp die-offs in Japan and Indonesia. A few years back also in Israel, South Africa, and many other countries. In the US such die-offs have been primarily confined to koi collectors, koi dealers, and fish farmers.
The information and timing lead to such a conclusion. KHV onsets at water temps in the low 70's and continues into the low 80's. It only affects common carp and kills most of those infected.
Anybody in S.C. with contacts in the state should tell them to contact Dr. Andrew Goodwin at The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He is a fish pathologist and expert at determinig such infections.
I hope this might shed some light on this subject. Anybody wishing to contact me is welcome to do so at my e-mail address.
Brett Rowley
Fisheries Biologist
Texas Sportfish and Koi/Brett's Fish Farm
Brazoria County, Texas
www.brettsfishfarm.com
