Composition for controlling fish
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to a composition for controlling fish. In particular, the composition may be an incitant, functioning as either a fish attractant or a fish repellent. The composition may be prepared by extracting bacteria from a source fish, culturing the bacteria in an appropriate media, and subsequently combining the cultured bacteria with a substrate to form the composition.
1. A composition for producing a feeding response in a target/predator fish comprising:
i) at least one bacterial species from a source/feeder fish or fishes, which bacterial species is typically associated with the source/feeder fish, and wherein said bacterial species stimulates the feeding response in said target/predator fish;
ii) a pharmaceutically or veterinarily acceptable excipient, diluent or vehicle; and
iii) a high protein food source which is unpalatable to the target fish when the bacterial species is not part of the composition; and wherein the target/predator fish exhibits the feeding response when it is exposed to the composition because the target/predator fish tastes or smells the bacterial species; and
wherein the bacterial species is chemically inactivated; and
wherein the feeding response persists such that the predator fish not only initially samples or consumes the composition, but continues to consume and subsist upon the composition; made by the steps of:
a. extracting at least one bacterial species from a source fish or fishes, wherein said feeder/prey fish are selected for stimulating rapid and sustained feeding behavior in a target/predator fish;
b. culturing said bacterial species in a minimal medium;
c. chemically inactivating the bacterial species using formaldehyde or another cross-linking agent, and rinsing away substantially all soluble molecules;
d. confirming the bacterial species elicits a substantially similar feeding response in the target/predator fish as do the feeder/prey fish; and
e. combining said inactivated bacterial species with
1. the pharmaceutically or veterinarily acceptable excipient, diluent or vehicle; and
2. the high protein food source; thereby forming the composition for producing the feeding response in the target/predator fish.
2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the target/predator fish exhibits the feeding response within 10 minutes of being exposed to the composition.
3. The composition of claim 1 or 2 , wherein the protein is soy or casein, and wherein the source/feeder fish is a bluegill, a fathead minnow, a mosquitofish, or a golden shiner.
4. The composition of claim 1 , which contains about 2.5×10 12 inactivated bacteria per pound.
5. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein said bacterial species is a Citrobacter or an Acidovorax.
6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein said bacteria were cultured in a minimal medium prior to being inactivated.
7. The composition of claim 1 wherein said bacteria were cultured in a dark environment to prevent the growth of photosynthetic organisms.
8. The composition of claim 1 wherein said bacteria were cultured in a medium that comprises a mixture of potassium phosphate-dibasic, potassium phosphate-monobasic, ammonium sulfate, sodium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, distilled water, and glucose.
9. A process for preparing the composition of claim 1 comprising the steps of:
i) extracting at least one bacterial species from a source fish or fishes, wherein said source fish are selected for stimulating feeding behavior in said target fish;
ii) culturing said bacterial species in a minimal medium; and
iii) combining said cultured bacteria with a pharmaceutically or veterinarily acceptable excipient, diluent or vehicle to form said composition.
10. The process of claim 9 , wherein said bacteria is Enterobacteriaceae.
11. The process of claim 9 , wherein said bacteria is a Citrobacter or an Acidovorax.
12. The process of claim 9 , wherein said bacteria is Citrobacter freundii.
13. The process of claim 9 , wherein said culturing step takes place in a dark environment.
14. The process of claim 9 , wherein said bacteria are cultured in a minimal medium.
15. The process of claim 9 , wherein said medium comprises a mixture of potassium phosphate-dibasic, potassium phosphate-monobasic, ammonium sulfate, sodium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, and distilled water.
16. The process of claim 9 , wherein said medium comprises a mixture of potassium phosphate-dibasic, potassium phosphate-monobasic, ammonium sulfate, sodium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, distilled water, and glucose.
17. The process of claim 9 , wherein said medium comprises: potassium phosphate-dibasic, present in an amount between approximately 0.1% to 2.0% by weight; potassium phosphate-monobasic, present in an amount between approximately 0.1% to 1.0%, by weight; ammonium sulfate, present in an amount between approximately 0.01% to 0.8% by weight; sodium sulfate, present in an amount between approximately 0.005% to 0.55% by weight; magnesium sulfate, present in an amount between approximately 0.001% to 0.03% 0.01% by weight; distilled water, present in an amount between approximately 70% to 99% by weight; and a concentrated solution of sterile glucose between approximately 1.0% to 10.0% by weight.
18. The process of claim 9 , wherein said culturing continues until there is a substantial increase of the bacterial biomass or until the end of the bacterial growth cycle.
19. The process of claim 9 , wherein said culturing is performed for approximately 48 hours.
20. The process of claim 9 , wherein said excipient, diluent or vehicle is water.
21. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the rinsing away step comprises at least 2 rinses.
22. The composition of claim 21 , wherein the predator fish would not subsist on the composition in absence of the bacterial species.
23. The composition of claim 21 , which contains substantially no or no free amino acids.
24. The composition of claim 21 , comprising less fish meal than would be required to elicit the persistent feeding behavior.
25. The composition of claim 21 , comprising substantially no fish meal.
26. The composition of claim 25 , comprising no fish meal.
27. The composition of claim 21 , comprising a mixture of more than one bacterial species.
28. The composition of claim 27 , at least one Acidovorax species, at least one Aeromonas species, and at least one Citrobacter species.
29. The composition of claim 21 , wherein the bacterial species is capable of growing on minimal media containing only a carbon source and salts containing elements required for protein and nucleic acid synthesis.
30. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the protein is soy or casein.
31. The composition of claim 1 , comprising no fish meal.
32. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the predator fish would not subsist on the composition in absence of the bacterial species.
33. The composition of claim 1 , which is substantially free of free amino acids.
34. The composition of claim 1 , comprising a mixture of more than one bacterial species.
35. The composition of claim 1 , comprising at least one Acidovorax species, at least one Aeromonas species, and at least one Citrobacter species.