Assessment, causes and consequences of short opercula in laboratory-reared Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)
Abstract Opercular deformity is a common morphological abnormality of laboratory and other cultured fishes, observed in a wide variety of species but with an unclear aetiology. Following observations of short opercula in stocks of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) reared in our laboratory, we develope...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.7120/09627286.31.1.007 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0962728600009805 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.7120/09627286.31.1.007 2023-05-15T15:30:47+02:00 Assessment, causes and consequences of short opercula in laboratory-reared Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) Blaker, E Ellis, T 2022 http://dx.doi.org/10.7120/09627286.31.1.007 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0962728600009805 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Animal Welfare volume 31, issue 1, page 79-89 ISSN 0962-7286 2054-1538 General Veterinary General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology Animal Science and Zoology journal-article 2022 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.7120/09627286.31.1.007 2023-01-20T07:08:31Z Abstract Opercular deformity is a common morphological abnormality of laboratory and other cultured fishes, observed in a wide variety of species but with an unclear aetiology. Following observations of short opercula in stocks of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) reared in our laboratory, we developed a photographic key to score individual fish on a scale of 1 to 5. Inter-rater reliability was assessed as ‘almost perfect’. This visual method is quick and simple to use, can be used to score live fish in situ in tanks as well as sampled fish, does not require sophisticated equipment and provides quantitative information to investigate the aetiology of short opercula. Opercular size was scored for a cohort of in-house reared Atlantic salmon, in a time series of random samples of ≥ 30 fish (mean weights ranging from 0.8 to 299 g) over 14 months. Short opercula were first recorded during the parr stage, prevalence and severity increased as the fish grew, and the deformity was asymmetrical, occurring predominantly on the left side. Therefore, among the many potential causal factors, nipping is suggested as the primary cause of short opercula within our culture system, with asymmetry due to the clockwise current. We also present evidence that short opercula are associated with gill damage which supports this deformity being a welfare issue that merits assessment. Article in Journal/Newspaper Atlantic salmon Salmo salar Cambridge University Press (via Crossref) Animal Welfare 31 1 79 89 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press (via Crossref) |
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crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
General Veterinary General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology Animal Science and Zoology |
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General Veterinary General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology Animal Science and Zoology Blaker, E Ellis, T Assessment, causes and consequences of short opercula in laboratory-reared Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) |
topic_facet |
General Veterinary General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology Animal Science and Zoology |
description |
Abstract Opercular deformity is a common morphological abnormality of laboratory and other cultured fishes, observed in a wide variety of species but with an unclear aetiology. Following observations of short opercula in stocks of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) reared in our laboratory, we developed a photographic key to score individual fish on a scale of 1 to 5. Inter-rater reliability was assessed as ‘almost perfect’. This visual method is quick and simple to use, can be used to score live fish in situ in tanks as well as sampled fish, does not require sophisticated equipment and provides quantitative information to investigate the aetiology of short opercula. Opercular size was scored for a cohort of in-house reared Atlantic salmon, in a time series of random samples of ≥ 30 fish (mean weights ranging from 0.8 to 299 g) over 14 months. Short opercula were first recorded during the parr stage, prevalence and severity increased as the fish grew, and the deformity was asymmetrical, occurring predominantly on the left side. Therefore, among the many potential causal factors, nipping is suggested as the primary cause of short opercula within our culture system, with asymmetry due to the clockwise current. We also present evidence that short opercula are associated with gill damage which supports this deformity being a welfare issue that merits assessment. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Blaker, E Ellis, T |
author_facet |
Blaker, E Ellis, T |
author_sort |
Blaker, E |
title |
Assessment, causes and consequences of short opercula in laboratory-reared Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) |
title_short |
Assessment, causes and consequences of short opercula in laboratory-reared Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) |
title_full |
Assessment, causes and consequences of short opercula in laboratory-reared Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) |
title_fullStr |
Assessment, causes and consequences of short opercula in laboratory-reared Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Assessment, causes and consequences of short opercula in laboratory-reared Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) |
title_sort |
assessment, causes and consequences of short opercula in laboratory-reared atlantic salmon (salmo salar) |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.7120/09627286.31.1.007 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0962728600009805 |
genre |
Atlantic salmon Salmo salar |
genre_facet |
Atlantic salmon Salmo salar |
op_source |
Animal Welfare volume 31, issue 1, page 79-89 ISSN 0962-7286 2054-1538 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.7120/09627286.31.1.007 |
container_title |
Animal Welfare |
container_volume |
31 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
79 |
op_container_end_page |
89 |
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1766361242246578176 |