Sea lice (Copepoda, Caligidae) - Pathogen of Marine Cultured Fish

Abstract

Sea lice including Caligus and Lepeophtheirus (Crustacea, Copepoda, Caligidae) are considered as serious pathogens of cultured fish, causing diseases and economic losses in fish aquaculture worldwide. In Korea, some of the important cultured/farmed fishes are infected with pathogenic sea lice, but studies are scanty. Tongyeong marine living resources research & conservation center (TMRC), KIOST, the ranched marine fishes have recently been screened to study the infection of sea lice and its ecology. Three major cultured fish such as red seabream Pagrus major, blackhead seabream Acanthopagrus schlegelii schlegelii and Korean rockfish Sebastes schlegelii were screened for sea lice. The prevalence and mean intensity of sea lice, its ecology and possible life cycle have been studied.Identified sea lice are Caligus latigenitalis Shiino, 1954, C. sclerotinosus Roubal, Armitage et Rohde, 1983 and Lepeophtheirus elegans Gusev, 1951. Here, we report the infestation of sea lice, ecology and its possible life cycle. (1) Caligus latigenitalis was found infected on the body surface of A. schlegelii schlegelii (Sparidae). Adult females and males were observed and identified by their morphology. Its life cycle has been already elucidated. (2) Caligus sclerotinosus was found infected on the body surface of P. major (Sparidae). Prevalence was 100%, mean intensity 7.06, maximum intensity 49, and minimum intensity 2. Adult females, mald/farmed fishes are infected with pathogenic sea lice, but studies are scanty. Tongyeong marine living resources research & conservation center (TMRC), KIOST, the ranched marine fishes have recently been screened to study the infection of sea lice and its ecology. Three major cultured fish such as red seabream Pagrus major, blackhead seabream Acanthopagrus schlegelii schlegelii and Korean rockfish Sebastes schlegelii were screened for sea lice. The prevalence and mean intensity of sea lice, its ecology and possible life cycle have been studied.Identified sea lice are Caligus latigenitalis Shiino, 1954, C. sclerotinosus Roubal, Armitage et Rohde, 1983 and Lepeophtheirus elegans Gusev, 1951. Here, we report the infestation of sea lice, ecology and its possible life cycle. (1) Caligus latigenitalis was found infected on the body surface of A. schlegelii schlegelii (Sparidae). Adult females and males were observed and identified by their morphology. Its life cycle has been already elucidated. (2) Caligus sclerotinosus was found infected on the body surface of P. major (Sparidae). Prevalence was 100%, mean intensity 7.06, maximum intensity 49, and minimum intensity 2. Adult females, mal