Histidine nutrition and genotype affect cataract development in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L

The aim of this study was to investigate effects of dietary levels of histidine (His) and iron (Fe) on cataract development in two strains of Atlantic salmon monitored through parr-smolt transformation. Three experimental diets were fed: (i) a control diet (CD) with 110 mg kg(-1) Fe and 11.7 g kg(-1) His; (ii) CD supplemented with crystalline His to a level of 18 g kg(-1) (HD); and (iii) HD with added iron up to 220 mg kg(-1) (HID). A cross-over design, with two feeding periods was used. A 6-week freshwater (FW) period was followed by a 20-week period, of which the first three were in FW and the following 17 weeks in sea water (SW). Fish were sampled for weighing, cataract assessment and tissue analysis at five time points. Cataracts developed in all groups in SW, but scores were lower in those fed high His diets (P < 0.05). This effect was most pronounced when HD or HID was given in SW, but was also observed when these diets were given in FW only. Histidine supplementation had a positive effect on growth performance and feed conversion ratio (P < 0.05), whereas this did not occur when iron was added. Groups fed HD or HID had higher lens levels of His and N-acetyl histidine (NAH), the latter showing a marked increase post-smoltification (P < 0.05). The HD or HID groups also showed higher muscle concentrations of the His dipeptide anserine (P < 0.05). There was a strong genetic influence on cataract development in the CD groups (P < 0.001), not associated with tissue levels of His or NAH. The role of His and His-related compounds in cataractogenesis is discussed in relation to tissue buffering, osmoregulation and antioxidation.     

The effect of water temperature on vertebral deformities and vaccine-induced abdominal lesions in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L

This study investigates the effects of water temperature (T) on vaccine-induced abdominal lesions (i.p. injection with oil-adjuvant vaccine) and vertebral deformities in Atlantic salmon. Quadruple groups of vaccinated (V) or unvaccinated (U) underyearling smolts were reared in tanks under four different temperature regimes for 6 weeks in fresh water (FW) followed by 6 weeks in sea water (SW). The four different T regimes were 10 °C FW-10 °C SW (10-10), 10 °C FW-16 °C SW (10-16), 16 °C FW-10 °C SW (16-10) and 16 °C FW-16 °C SW (16-16). After the temperature regimes were finished, the fish were group-tagged and transferred to a common sea cage for on-growth until harvest size. At termination, weight was significantly affected by both T and V, while lesion score and deformities were affected by T only. The weight difference between the largest and smallest U group was 20.3% (16-10 U: 2.4 kg, 10-16 U: 1.89 kg), while the largest difference between U and V fish within a T regime was 28.7% (16-16 U: 2.1 kg, 16-16 V: 1.5 kg). Fish from the 16-16, 16-10 and 10-16 regimes had a significant higher lesion score than those from the 10-10 regime. Fish from the 10-16 and 16-16 regimes displayed a significantly higher prevalence of vertebral deformities (palpation : 13-27%, radiology: 88-94%) than fish from the 10-10 and 16-10 regimes (palpation: 2-3%, radiology: 27-65%). Vertebra number 26 (located beneath the dorsal fin) was the most frequently affected vertebra in smolts, while vertebra number 43 (located above the anal fin) was most frequently affected in adults.     

Improved recapture rate of vaccinated sea-ranched Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.

Vaccination of sea-ranched Atlantic salmon was conducted in order to investigate if immuno-prophylactic measures could improve their survival. Fish were either vaccinated by bath or injection. A total of 66 000 fish were reared in fresh water at a hatchery on the island of Bornholm and at the presmolt stage were separated in three groups each comprising of 22 000 fish. One group was vaccinated intraperitoneally with a polyvalent vaccine (containing killed Vibrio anguillarum serotype O1 and O2, Yersinia ruckeri and Aeromonas salmonicida ). A second group was bath vaccinated with the corresponding vaccine-components and the third group was used as a non-vaccinated control. One month after vaccination these groups were allocated to three separate net-pens located 500 m from the coastline of the island. After 4 months in the net-pens, 1000 fish from each cage were tagged with Carlin-tags below the dorsal fin. The fish were then released for a migration period in the Baltic Sea. Following a sea period of 40 months (45 months post-vaccination), the recapture rates of the groups were calculated from the returned tags from fishermen. Recapture of the injection vaccinated group was significantly higher (25%) compared with the bath vaccinated fish (14.7%) and the control group (16.8%).     

Dietary phosphorus requirement of juvenile Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.

The objective of this study was to determine the dietary phosphorus (P) requirement of juvenile Atlantic salmon, Salmon salar L. Triplicate groups of fish (mean initial weight 1.4 g) were fed semipurified, casein-gelatine-based diets containing one of five levels of P (4, 8, 10, 15 and 25 g kg⁻¹) from Ca(H₂PO₄)₂·H₂O, or a commercial feed (17 g kg⁻¹ P) for 9 weeks. Weight gains did not differ significantly among treatment groups fed the experimental diets but were slightly less than gains in fish fed the commercial feed. Feed efficiency (wet weight gain/dry feed consumed) was similar in all groups, averaging 1.45. Availability of dietary P, estimated from apparent retention and apparent digestibility, was 86%. Whole-body P concentrations declined in fish fed diets containing less than 10 g kg⁻¹ P. Fitting a logistic curve to dietary P vs. whole-body P concentrations indicated that a minimum of 11 g kg⁻¹ dietary P (9 g kg⁻¹ digestible P) was required by juvenile Atlantic salmon to maintain whole-body P concentrations at initial levels. Calculation of a dietary requirement using a simple factorial model which incorporated measurements of P availability, feed efficiency and normal whole-body P concentration indicated that the dietary requirement was approximately 10 g kg⁻¹. The dietary requirement established in this study (10–11 g kg⁻¹) is higher than previously reported for Atlantic salmon or other fishes. Possible reasons for the wide range of reported dietary P requirements in fishes are discussed.     

The efficacy of air, sound and acoustic bubble screens in deflecting Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., smolts in the River Frome, UK

Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., smolts are vulnerable to entrainment in a variety of man-made structures as they migrate downstream. The ability of acoustic bubble screens to deflect smolts from potential hazards was assessed. Screens were deployed, in turn, across one of the two identical channels through which the millstream of the River Frome flowed and the efficiency of these screen systems was tested by counting smolts by video recording in each channel. It was concluded that these screens deflected a significant number of smolts. Efficiencies were greater at night than in daylight because of smolt behaviour.     

Cataract formation in Atlantic salmon,Salmo salar L., smolt relative to dietary pro- and antioxidants and lipid level

The development of cataracts in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., was studied in 16 groups of smolts fed diets differing in prooxidant (iron, copper, manganese) and antioxidant (vitamin E, vitamin C, astaxanthin) composition and lipid level for 23 weeks in sea water, using a 2(7-3) reduced factorial design. The seven dietary variables were systematically varied at low (requirement level and 150 g lipid kg(-1)) and high levels (below known toxic levels and 320 g lipid kg(-1)). A mean endpoint cataract incidence of approximately 36% was observed. High dietary levels of vitamin C and astaxanthin reduced cataract frequency, whereas high dietary lipid level, iron and manganese were associated with increased cataract frequencies. Considering the nutritional status of selected organs of the fish, only the status of ascorbic acid correlated negatively to cataract development (P < 0.05). The lens glutathione (GSH) status was not correlated to cataract frequency, nor statistically explained by the dietary variables. However, the study shows that balancing the diet with respect to pro- and antioxidant nutrients may significantly protect Atlantic salmon against development of cataracts. An incidence of reversible osmotic cataract observed at week 14 was positively correlated to plasma glucose concentration.     

Glucose tolerance in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., dependence on adaption to dietary starch and water temperature

Individually tagged Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., were fed three different adaptation diets containing low, medium or high levels of extruded starch, before intraperitoneal injection of glucose. The injections were done at winter and at summer temperatures. This was to investigate whether the tolerance for glucose varied according to adaption diet and/or according to season. The results showed a temperature-dependent response. At winter temperatures (2°C) the Atlantic salmon had problems adapting to both medium and high levels of dietary starch. This was indicated by lower growth response in the adaptation period, as well as by delayed glucose regulation. At summer temperatures (12.5°C) the Atlantic salmon could tolerate and utilize both medium and high levels of dietary starch. In summer also all groups responded evenly to the tolerance tests with respect to blood glucose regulation. Incorporation of liver glycogen was higher at summer than at winter temperatures in the high- carbohydrate group. No effect was found on haematocrit values as a response to diet or season.     

Infectious pancreatic necrosis in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L

A clinical and histopathological review was carried out of 21 outbreaks of acute infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) in Scottish Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., farms (13 marine and eight fresh water) during 1991-2004. A distinctive syndrome was evident in both post-smolts in sea water and fry in fresh water, where liver lesions, which had not previously been associated with IPN, became a consistent finding in addition to the more typical pancreatic and intestinal changes. Initial cases were described in post-smolts in Shetland, but by the end of the period of investigation this type of pathology had extended down the West coast of Scotland and into Ireland. Limited viral strain analysis suggested that similar strains were involved in both fresh water and sea water and that these differed from earlier isolates from rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum). In fresh water, recovered fish frequently developed a greatly distended intestine associated with accumulation of undigested food. In sea water, after the initial, often significant (50% or more), losses, there were many fish which failed to grow and became chronically emaciated and prone to sea louse infection. Although use of transfer diets containing immune enhancers and the selection of IPN resistant broodstock has reduced losses the disease remains a serious cause of economic loss.     

Plasma protein changes in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., with infectious salmon anaemia

Moderate to severe anaemia and hypoproteinaemia were reported in a Canadian outbreak of 'haemorrhagic kidney syndrome' in Atlantic salmon, later shown to be caused by a variant of infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV). The progressive anaemia associated with ISA has been previously reported, but hypoproteinaemia in salmon infected with European isolates of ISA virus has not been well documented. The present study showed a very significant positive correlation between decreasing haematocrit values and total plasma protein concentrations in Atlantic salmon infected with two Canadian and two Norwegian ISA viral isolates. However, variations in the concentration of individual plasma proteins, typical of acute phase responses in higher vertebrates, were not observed.     

Growth and survival of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. fed different dietary levels of astaxanthin. Juveniles

Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., juveniles, with a mean initial weight of 1.75 g, were fed casein-based purified diets which had been supplemented with different levels of astaxanthin for a 10-week period. The astaxanthin content of the diets ranged from 0 to 190 mg kg^?1 dry diet. The growth and survival of the juveniles were recorded throughout the experiment. The proximate composition, astaxanthin and vitamin A content were determined from whole-body samples at the start and termination of the experiment. The dietary treatment was found to affect growth significantly (P < 0.05). A reduction in the mean weight of the juveniles was observed in the groups fed the diets without astaxanthin supplementation. There was no difference in growth rate between the fish in the groups fed the diets containing 36 or 190 mg astaxanthin kg^?1 dry diet, whereas the fish in the group fed the diet containing 5.3 mg astaxanthin kg^?1 dry diet had a lower growth rate. There was a tendency to higher survival in the groups fed the diets containing astaxanthin when compared with the groups fed the non-supplemented diets. The moisture and ash contents were significantly lower and the lipid content was higher in the groups fed the astaxanthin-supplemented diets. The astaxanthin and the vitamin A concentrations in the fish were found to be dependent upon the dietary astaxanthin dose; the highest values were found in the fish fed the diet with the highest astaxanthin content. These results strongly indicate that astaxanthin functions as a provitamin A for juvenile Atlantic salmon. The body storage of vitamin A increased in the fish fed the diets containing astaxanthin. However, the increase was low in the fish fed the diet containing 5.3 mg astaxanthin kg^?1 dry diet.     

Association of spinal deformity and vaccine-induced abdominal lesions in harvest-sized Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L

Spinal deformities in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., have been described as a disease of multifactorial origin for which vaccines and time of vaccination have been suggested as risk factors. A vaccine efficacy trial where spinal deformity became evident was continued by the observational study reported here. In the preharvest part of the study 17 months post-sea transfer, there was a prevalence of 11.3% spinal deformity, with deformities present only in one vaccine group indicating a strong vaccine involvement. At slaughter, the prevalence of spinal deformities was 11.7%, and deformed fish had only 62% of normal slaughter weight. Visual analogue scales (VAS) were used for continuous recordings of vaccine-induced abdominal lesions and deformity. A logistic regression model associating presence of spinal deformity with markers of abdominal lesions was developed. The odds ratio for spinal deformity was 5.7 (95% CI: 3.4–9.4) for each unit increase in adhesion score (0–6) and 4.9 (2.9–3.4) for each unit increase in melanin on abdominal organs (0–3). Lesions in the dorsal caudal part of the abdomen gave an odds ratio for spinal deformity of 2.2.     

Increased winter temperature did not affect completion of smolting in Atlantic salmon

Four groups of 1+ year-old Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, pre-smolts were reared under various temperature regimes: constant 10 °C from November onwards; ambient temperature until either 15 December or 1 February, then 10 °C; or ambient temperature throughout (control; 2–3 °C November–March). From 20 May onwards, temperature in all groups was ambient, increasing from 10 °C to 17 °C in late July. Rearing temperature had no significant effect on either the timing of completion of smolting, or the duration of the smolt-window. Mean gill Na⁺-K⁺ ATPase activity was not significantly affected by temperature regime; it increased in all groups from < 2.0 mol Pi mg protein^–1 h^–1 (units) in January to 5–7 units in mid-April, then back to < 2.0 units in July. Survival in 96 h, 37) salinity (S) tolerance tests was similar in all groups, increasing from < 10% in early March, to > 90% from mid-April to mid-June, then decreasing to < 20% by early July. Increased winter temperature significantly increased growth and condition factor compared with the control, but during April–May all four groups exhibited similar temporary decreases in condition factor in association with the completion of smolting.     

Screamer disease in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in Chile

Investigation of cranial and spinal deformities in Atlantic salmon smolts from Chile immediately after sea transfer, over two successive crops, demonstrated ankylosis of the mandibular articulation, spinal foreshortening, fracture of vertebrae and rarefaction of osseous and cartilaginous tissues including the operculum. As a result the mouth was permanently agape and opercula could be folded back on themselves. All affected fish had been transferred to sea water at 20 °C plus and fed on particular commercial diets. Fish in cooler areas, or on diets high in vitamin C and phosphorus in the high temperature zone, were clinically normal. The condition has not recurred following dietary adjustment.     

Teratogenicity of elevated egg incubation temperature and egg vitamin A status in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L

The present study was undertaken to investigate the possibility that high egg vitamin A (VA) status in combination with elevated egg incubation temperatures may cause deformities in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. Egg batches selected for their total VA concentration were exposed to low (normal, 8 degrees C) or elevated (14 degrees C) egg incubation temperatures. Temperature was the main factor causing bone deformities such as warped gill opercula, fin and jaw deformities, but not for the development of spinal deformities where all groups displayed a 'baseline' occurrence of mild deformity (decreased vertebral size in the cephalic region) and no systematic variation in the occurrence of serious spinal deformities (fused vertebrae). A possible effect of egg incubation temperature fluctuation was found for the groups reared at low temperatures. An indication of a negative effect of elevated egg VA status for the development of organ deformities such as missing septum transversum and situs inversus was found in addition to temperature effects, however, no firm conclusions could be drawn from the present data. The phenotypes for temperature-induced deformities resembled the phenotype of VA-induced deformities, but no clear conclusions on the causality of the deformities found in the present study could be drawn. Egg incubation temperatures, both absolute temperature and temperature variations, should therefore be strictly controlled.     

Mycobacterium salmoniphilum infection in farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L

Multiple greyish‐white visceral nodules containing abundant rapidly growing and acid‐fast bacteria, subsequently identified as Mycobacterium salmoniphilum, were detected in moribund and newly dead market‐sized fish during a period of increased mortality in an Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, farm in western Norway. Isolates cultured from diseased fish were phenotypically consistent with Mycobacterium sp. previously isolated from Atlantic salmon [MT 1890 (= NCIMB13533), MT1892, MT1900 and MT1901] in the Shetland Isles, Scotland. Partial sequences of 16S rDNA, ribosomal RNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS1), 65‐kDa heat‐shock protein (Hsp65) and β subunit of RNA polymerase (rpoB) revealed 97‐99% similarity with M. salmoniphilum type strain ATCC 13758^T. The source of infection was not confirmed. Koch’s postulates were fulfilled following experimental challenge of Atlantic salmon with field isolate NVI6598 ( FJ616988 ). Mortality was recorded in experimentally infected fish; however, the infection remained subclinical in the majority of affected fish over the 131‐day challenge period.     

Protein-nitrogen flux and protein growth efficiency of individual Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

Protein-nitrogen flux (the proportions of consumed and absorbed protein-nitrogen partitioned into protein synthesis and growth) was examined in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. Salmon were held in groups and fed high or low rations or starved. Individual food consumption rates were measured using radiography. Fish varied widely in protein growth efficiency (protein growth divided by protein consumption), but this did not correlate with consumption rate, digestive capacity (as measured by absorption efficiency, trypsin levels and pyloric caecal size) or feeding hierarchy rank. Protein synthesis rates, measured in whole-animals, were linearly correlated with protein consumption and assimilation. There was a significant correlation between protein growth efficiency and the efficiency of retention of synthesised proteins. The capacity for protein synthesis and RNA activity were positively correlated with rates of food consumption and growth but were not correlated with protein growth efficiency. It was concluded that individual differences in protein growth efficiency related to differences in synthesis retention efficiency, but not to differences in the capacity for protein synthesis, RNA activity, digestive capacity or feeding hierarchy rank.     

Soybean meal-induced enteritis in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) at different temperatures

This study evaluates the effect of temperature on the development of intestinal disorders when Atlantic salmon are fed soybean meal (SBM). In this study 20% of the dietary fishmeal was replaced by solvent-extracted Hipro SBM. Atlantic salmon reared at two different water temperatures (8 °C and 12 °C), were fed a control diet and an experimental diet for 20 days. Samples were taken at days 7 and 20. The extent of the morphological changes was assessed using a semi-quantitative scoring system developed for this purpose. The study demonstrates that enteritis is affected by temperature. The intestinal disorders were more severe in fish reared at 12 °C compared with those reared at 8 °C. It can be concluded from this study that temperature changes the speed but not the type of SBM-induced enteritis expressed as a delay on the response when Atlantic salmon are kept at lower temperatures.