Risk factor analysis for sea lice, Caligus rogercresseyi, levels in farmed salmonids in southern Chile

Sea lice, Caligus rogercresseyi, are ectoparasitic copepods, which severely affect the salmon farming industry in southern Chile, reducing the health status of fish and producing both direct and indirect economic losses. Local farmers have reported increasing infestation levels since 2004, reaching a peak in 2007. In response to this situation, the Chilean Fisheries Service (Sernapesca) developed a surveillance programme; the first step of which consisted of a general survey of salmon farms. This survey included documenting counts of parasite burdens on fish and measurements of several husbandry and environmental factors providing an evaluation of risk factors for the observed infestation levels. The information collected was analysed using a linear mixed model technique, which takes into account the clustered structure of data, decomposing the unexplained variation and assigning it to different aggregation levels of the productive system. Geographical zones, fish species, treatment against sea lice performed 1 month before sampling, stocking density, fish weight and water salinity were the variables significantly associated with sea lice burdens. In contrast, treatments performed 2-3 months before sampling, use of photoperiod in sea cages and water temperature, were not significant. There was significant unexplained variation at all aggregation levels, i.e. sub-zone, fish farm and cage level, with the fish farm level showing the greatest variation.     

Stress response of Salmo salar (Linnaeus 1758) facing low abundance infestation of Caligus rogercresseyi (Boxshall & Bravo 2000), an object in the tank,and handling

This study looks at how low infestation loads of adult Caligus rogercresseyi and other stressors affect the physiology of Salmo salar. Experimental fish groups were with (infested) or without (control) exposure to the parasite. The parasite cohort was followed for 78 days post‐infestation (dpi), and only adult lice were observed. Additional stressors were applied at 60 and 75 dpi. The analysis included measurements of fish physiology and weight. Low‐level infestations by adult C. rogercresseyi for more than 50 dpi induced moderate stress in S. salar as well as a high energy demand and increased small skin mucous cells. Threshold lice loads were identified, and above those loads, a high stress response was observed. Additional stressors altered fish physiology, inducing downregulation of the cortisol response after the first stressor and upregulation after the second stressor, but infested fish responded more strongly. Parasitism by C. rogercresseyi is energetically demanding, affecting the primary and secondary responses (e.g. cortisol and glucose levels), as well as the tertiary response (fish weight).     

Deltamethrin resistance in the sea louse Caligus rogercresseyi (Boxhall and Bravo) in Chile: bioassay results and usage data for antiparasitic agents with references to Norwegian conditions

The sea louse Caligus rogercresseyi is a major threat to Chilean salmonid farming. Pyrethroids have been used for anticaligus treatments since 2007, but have shown reduced effect, most likely due to resistance development. Pyrethroid resistance is also a known problem in Lepeophtheirus salmonis in the Northern Hemisphere. This study describes the development of deltamethrin resistance in C. rogercresseyi based on bioassays and usage data for pyrethroids in Chilean aquaculture. These results were compared to bioassays from L. salmonis from Norway and to Norwegian usage data. Available deltamethrin bioassay results from 2007 and 2008, as well as bioassays from Norway, were collected and remodelled. Bioassays were performed on field‐collected sea lice in region X in Chile in 2012 and 2013. Bioassays from 2007 were performed prior to the introduction of pyrethroids to the Chilean market. Both the results from 2008 and 2012 showed an increased resistance. Increased pyrethroid resistance was also indicated by the increased use of pyrethroids in Chilean aquaculture compared with the production of salmonids. A similar trend was seen in the Norwegian usage data. The bioassay results from Chile from 2012 and 2013 also indicated a difference in the susceptibility to deltamethrin between male and female caligus.     

Time-series models of sea lice Caligus elongatus (Nordmann) abundance on Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. in Loch Sunart, Scotland

Most lice infestations on salmon farmed in the North Atlantic are attributed to Caligus elongatus and Lepeophtheirus salmonis. This study reports findings from time‐series analysis conducted on observations of the lesser‐studied C. elongatus, in four farms on the west coast of Scotland over the period 1996–2000. Least‐squares and Poisson regression techniques were applied to one individual site and to the aggregated data of four sites. Models were fitted and tested for goodness of fit using appropriate statistical methods. Findings indicate that infestation levels are highly seasonal with rapidly increasing numbers after week 22 of the year followed by a steady decline from week 40. Abundance is much lower in the second year of the production cycle than the first. Neither of the models indicated that treatment application has a significant effect on C. elongatus infestations.     

Evaluating bath treatment effectiveness in the control of sea lice burdens on Atlantic salmon in New Brunswick,Canada

The use of medicinal bath treatment for sea lice is becoming more common, due to increasing resistance to in‐feed treatments with emamectin benzoate. Common treatment modalities in New Brunswick, Canada, include Salmosan administered by tarpaulin or wellboat, and Paramove administered by wellboat. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of these treatment modalities in the field between 2010 and 2015 using a web‐based sea lice data management system (Fish‐iTrends^©). Effectiveness was evaluated for adult female (AF) and for pre‐adult and adult male (PAAM) life stages separately. We also investigated the impact of variability in pretreatment lead and post‐treatment lag time on effectiveness measures. There were 1185 treatment events at 57 farms that uniquely matched our pre‐ and post‐treatment count criteria. The effectiveness of treatment modality was significantly influenced by season, pretreatment level of sea lice and by lead and lag times. In summer, Salmosan administered by tarpaulin had the greatest effectiveness on both AF and PAAM, when pretreatment levels were above 10 sea lice; whereas in autumn, the performance of treatment modalities varied significantly, depending on the pretreatment levels for the life stages. Ignoring the lead or lag time effect generally resulted in an underestimation of treatment effectiveness.     

Effect of the data family structure,tank replication and the statistical model,on the estimation of genetic parameters for body weight at 28 days of age in the Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus (Litopenaeus) vannamei Boone, 1931)

Real and simulated data sets were analysed to estimate the effect of data structure (i.e. the number of dams mated to one sire and the number of tanks per dam) and the model used for analysis on the bias of genetic parameter estimates of the square root of 28‐day body weight (BW28) in Penaeus vannamei. Estimated parameters used were 0.13 for the heritability (h²); 0.16 for the proportion of the variance of the maternal and common environmental effects (c²); 0.15 for the proportion of the tank effect variance (t²) and 0.56 for the proportion of the environmental variance (e²). Total variance for the BW28 was 2.36 mg. Simulated data involved a total of 9000 sires and 1 444 000 offspring. Exclusion of maternal and common environmental effects inflated estimates of heritability both in real and simulated data. Exclusion of tank effects from the model inflated the estimates of heritability in real, but not in simulated data, indicating the presence of non‐random effects affecting individual tanks. We conclude that replication of dams per sire is necessary for obtaining unbiased estimates of heritability. Use of replicated tanks may help in reducing overestimation of heritability if tank and genetic effects are confounded.     

Environmental and spatial effects on the distribution of blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) as inferred from data for longline fisheries in the Pacific Ocean

Blue marlin is distributed throughout tropical and temperate waters in the Pacific Ocean. However, the preference of this species for particular habitats may impact its vulnerability to being caught. The relationship between spatio‐temporal patterns of blue marlin abundance and environmental factors is examined using generalized additive models fitted to catch and effort data from longline fisheries. The presence of blue marlin, and the catch rate given presence, are modeled separately. Latitude, longitude, and sea‐surface temperature explain the greatest proportion of the deviance. Spatial distributions of relative density of blue marlin, based on combining the probability of presence and relative density given presence, indicate that there is seasonal variation in the distribution of blue marlin, and that the highest densities occur in the tropics. Seasonal patterns in the relative density of blue marlin appear to be related to shifts in SST. The distribution and relative abundance of blue marlin are sufficiently heterogeneous in space and time that the results of analyses of catch and effort data to identify ‘hotspots’ could be used as the basis for time‐area management to reduce the amount of blue marlin bycaught in longline fisheries.     

基于GFM和GAMM模型分析对虾白斑综合征(WSSV)对黄海和东海北部水域虾类生物量的影响

虾类是海洋生态系统功能群的重要组成部分,其生物量变化受到多重因素的影响。本研究在开展黄海和东海北部水域虾类白斑综合征病毒(white spot syndrome virus, WSSV)流行病学调查的基础上,利用梯度随机森林模型(gradient random forest model, GFM)和广义加性混合模型(generalized additive mixed models, GAMM),分析了2016—2018年间黄海和东海北部水域WSSV流行对虾类生物量的影响。分子检测结果显示,调查所获取的26种虾类中,11种被检测为WSSV阳性;2016、2017和2018年WSSV阳性采样站点的比率分别为48.40%、38.75%和21.74%,虾类样品中WSSV阳性检出比率分别为16.86%、9.60%和4.80%。GFM模型分析显示,解释变量“阳性样品数的对数(ln_posi)”对响应变量“虾类生物量的对数(ln_Abu)”的重要性最高。GAMM分析中,根据赤池信息准则(Akaike information criterion, AIC)最小原则筛选出的最优模型为：ln_Abu~WSSV阳性率(P_rate)+ln_posi+经度(Long),该模型中ln_posi和P_rate是影响虾类生物量的极显著相关因子,ln_Abu随着P_rate的升高而降低。研究表明,WSSV在黄海和东海北部水域虾类中流行,推测对该海域的虾类生物量存在影响。     

Mixed feeding schedule of low and high protein in the diet of Labeo rohita (Hamilton) fingerlings: effect on growth performance,haemato‐immunological and stress responses

Four experimental diets D₁, D₂, D₃ and D₄ having 100, 300, 350 and 400 g protein kg^?1 diet, respectively, were prepared. Fingerlings of Labeo rohita (5.45 ± 0.03 g) were fed with different diets following a mixed feeding schedule with the feeding cycle of 28 days that consisted of either 28 days feeding of diet D₁ or D₂ or 21 days feeding with D₁ diet and 7 days with either D₃ or D₄ diet. Different treatments were T₁ (D₁ for 28 days), T₂ (D₂ for 28 days), T₃ (D₁ for 21 days and D₂ for 7 days), T₄ (D₁ for 21 days and D₃ for 7 days) or T₅ (D₁ for 21 days and D₄ for 7 days). Fingerlings were sampled after three feeding cycles (84 days). Higher (P < 0.05) growth performance and protein utilization efficiency were found in the T₃ group, which was similar to the T₂ group. The blood count, NBT, lysozyme activity, serum parameters and stress indicator parameters also complement for the better immunity in the T₂ and T₃ groups. Therefore, it could be concluded that fingerlings feeding alternately a low‐protein diet (D₁) for 21 days followed by a normal‐protein diet (D₂) for 7 days in a cycle of 28 days for 84 days maintained better growth and health status.     

Substitution effect of Undaria pinnatifida with citrus (Citrus unshiu,Marcovitch) peel by‐product in feed on the growth,body composition and air exposure stressor of juvenile abalone (Haliotis discus,Reeve 1846)

Substitution effect of Undaria pinnatifida with citrus peel by‐product (CPB) on growth, body composition and air exposure stressor of abalone was determined. A total of 1,080 abalone were distributed into 18 net cages. Five formulated diets were prepared in triplicate. The CPB0 diet contained 200 g/kg U. pinnatifida. The 250, 500, 750 and 1,000 g/kg U. pinnatifida were substituted with the equal amount of CPB, referred to as the CPB250, CPB500, CPB750 and CPB1000 diets, respectively. Finally, dry U. pinnatifida was prepared. Abalone were fed for 16 weeks and then subjected to air exposure stressor for 24 hr. The cumulative mortality of abalone was monitored for the following 4 days after 24‐hr air exposure. Survival, weight gain and specific growth rate (SGR) of abalone fed all formulated diets were greater than those of abalone fed the U. pinnatifida. The greatest weight gain and SGR were achieved in abalone fed the CPB500 diet. The chemical composition of the soft body of abalone was not affected by the experimental diets. Higher cumulative mortality was observed in abalone fed the CPB0 and dry U. pinnatifida at 16 hr after 24‐hr air exposure compared to abalone fed all other diets. In conclusion, U. pinnatifida could be completely substituted with CPB in abalone feed.     

Immunomodulation and interferon gamma gene expression in sutchi cat fish,Pangasianodon hypophthalmus: effect of dietary fucoidan rich seaweed extract (FRSE) on pre and post challenge period

A 45‐days feeding trial was conducted to study the immunomodulatory effect and interferon gamma gene expression of dietary fucoidan rich seaweed extract (FRSE) from Sargassum wightii on Pangasianodon hypophthalmus fingerlings. One hundred and eighty fingerlings were distributed into six experimental groups in triplicates. Each group was stocked with 10 fish and fed to satiation with iso‐nitrogenous (34.96 ± 0.09–35.18 ± 0.03 CP%) and iso‐caloric (368.65 ± 0.86–375.09 ± 0.26 Kcal/100 g) purified diets containing either 0% FRSE (control), 1% FRSE (TF₁), 2% FRSE (TF₂), 3% FRSE (TF₃), 3% seaweed powder (TS₃) or 6% seaweed powder (TS₆) in the feed. After feeding trial the experimental fish were challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila. Immunological parameters like respiratory burst activity, lysozyme activity, phagocytic activity and total leukocyte count (TLC) were increased with the increasing level of dietary FRSE, whereas serum Albumin/Globulin (A/G) ratio and blood glucose level exhibited decreasing trend (P < 0.05). Increased TLC, blood glucose level, respiratory burst activity, serum A/G ratio, lysozyme and phagocytic activities were recorded during the post‐challenge period. Maximum expression of interferon gamma (IFN‐γ) gene was recorded in FRSE fed groups than the control group both in pre and post challenge condition. After challenged with A. hydrophila the highest survival was observed in TF₂ and TF₃ groups whereas lowest survival was observed in the control group. Hence, dietary supplementation of FRSE at an optimum level of 2% reduced the stress and improved the immune status of P. hypophthalmus fingerlings.