Harnessing the Therapeutic Potential of Sea Hare (Dolabella auricularia) Ink for Managing Fish Pathogens

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the potential of sea hare's ink (Dolabella auricularia), as a microbial agent against fish pathogens. Aquaculture remains a growing, active and essential production sector for high-protein animal food that is easily consumable and of high biological value. Globally, aquaculture imitates marine and inland capture fisheries for two-thirds of the total fish supply for human consumption. The findings of this study could potentially replace the costly and hazardous antibiotics currently used in aquaculture. Six (6) fish pathogens were subjected to antimicrobial assays, and the results indicated that all six pathogens showed growth inhibition at different concentrations. The study found that Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Vibrio cholera, and Staphylococcus epidermidis exhibited significant activity (very active), while, Salmonella sp. and Proteus vulgaris, with partially active observation. Furthermore, toxicity analysis for nauplii revealed an LC₅₀ value of 529.12, indicating that the sea hare's ink is moderately toxic. Based on these results, it is recommended to test its bioactive secondary metabolites for their potential use in developing new pharmaceutical agents against aquaculture disease. A better understanding of the sea hare's ink could lead to the development of new therapeutics for aquaculture disease management.