The Succession of Generations and Growth of the Caligid Copepods Caligus Elongatus and Lepeophtheirus Salmonis Parasitising Farmed Atlantic Salmon Smolts ( Salmo Salar L.)

• Published in: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
• Main Author: Tully, Oliver
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1989
• Subjects: Aquatic Science; Kabata; Atlantic salmon; Salmo salar; Copepods
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315400029404; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315400029404

Infestation of cage cultured Atlantic salmon by the external parasitic copepods Caligus elongatus (Nordmann) and Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Kröyer) is a serious cause of loss of production in the commercial sea water culture of this species. The copepods feed on the mucus, skin and blood of their hosts (Kabata, 1974; Brandal et al ., 1976) causing irritation and lesions. Loss in production due to infestation by lice occurs directly by the mortality of fish from osmotic shock and indirectly from a probable reduction in growth, from secondary infections such as vibriosis (Wootten et al ., 1982) or by increasing vulnerability to ultraviolet radiation damage (McArdle & Bullock, 1987).