Hydrogen peroxide treatments administered to hatchery-reared burbot: assessing treatment regimes from embrionic development through juvenile rearing

• Published in: North American Journal of Aquaculture
• Main Authors: Polinski, MP, Jensen, NR, Foltz, J, Ireland, SC, Cain, KD
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Amer Fisheries Soc 2012
• Subjects: Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences; Fisheries Sciences; Fish Pests and Diseases; Burbot; Lota lota; lota
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1080/15222055.2012.728184; http://ecite.utas.edu.au/82869

Burbot Lota lota is an emerging aquaculture species, in which fungal infestations during early life stage developmentare common. In this study, the tolerance of Burbot to external hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) treatment regimes wasexamined during four early life stages to determine species and life stage-specific sensitivity. Yolk-sac larvae toleratedthree 1-h treatments up to 250 L/L H 2 O 2 without significant reduction in survival. Preflexion larvae tolerated only100 L/L H 2 O 2 before survival was affected. In both cases, decreased survival was only observed after administrationof three consecutive treatments. Flexion larvae tolerated up to 250 L/L H 2 O 2 , but by the juvenile stage sensitivityagain increased to 100 L/L H 2 O 2 before survival was affected. In these latter stages, decreased survival was observedimmediately following the first H 2 O 2 treatment, suggesting a mechanism for toxicity that is different than that inprevious life stages. As has previously been shown, H 2 O 2 can be effective for controlling aquatic bacteria and fungusat or below 250 L/L, and our results indicate that H 2 O 2 concentrations currently used during Burbot egg incubationmay be extended into the larval rearing stage for effective fungal control without negatively affecting survival of eithereggs or newly hatched larvae. Additionally, treatment regimes may be continued through juvenile development forthe purpose of controlling external pathogens in the hatchery production of Burbot.