Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) used as cleaner fish: characterization and suitability for human consumption

Due to the socioeconomic importance of salmon farming in the North Atlantic and the economic impact of sea lice in this industry, there is high demand for novel pest control methods. One such method is the use of cleaner fish to remove the lice from the salmon. A cleaner fish that has recently gained in popularity due to its ability to work in cold water, is the lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus). This fish varies in efficiency, but when mortality is low and cleaning optimal, the fish are successful in keeping parasite burdens low. However, there is some concern for the welfare of lumpfish in the industry, because mortality is often high. This is sometimes attributed to inadequate feeding and shelter. Here we compare growth, body condition, and fin health of fish reared for four weeks in a crossed treatment design crossing shelter availability (shelter vs none) and feed delivery method (manual meal time feeds and continuous automated feeding). In terms of weight gain, shelter availability interacted with feeding method, with fish that had access to shelters and were fed using automated feeders gaining less weight than other fish. Fin health was not affected, but body condition was lowered both by access to shelter and being fed continuously. The results indicate a need to carefully consider how feeding method and shelter use is combined, both in cages and during rearing on land.

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First isolation, identification and characterisation of Tenacibaculum maritimum in Norway, isolated from diseased farmed sea lice cleaner fish Cyclopterus lumpus L

Aquaculture ◽

10.1016/j.aquaculture.2016.06.030 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 464 ◽

pp. 178-184 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Sverre Bang Småge ◽

Kathleen Frisch ◽

Øyvind Jakobsen Brevik ◽

Kuninori Watanabe ◽

Are Nylund

Keyword(s):

Sea Lice ◽

Cleaner Fish ◽

Cyclopterus Lumpus

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Phenotypic and genetic variation in lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus): applications towards sustainable aquaculture of cleaner fish

10.23889/suthesis.57270 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Benjamin A. Whittaker

Keyword(s):

Phenotypic Variation ◽

Captive Breeding ◽

The Body ◽

Wild Populations ◽

Louse Infestation ◽

Body Depth ◽

Cleaner Fish ◽

Phenotypic Differences ◽

Cyclopterus Lumpus ◽

Cleaning Behaviour

Ectoparasitic lice threaten sustainable Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) aquaculture, as high farm stocking densities facilitate louse infestation thereby increasing mortality rates. Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) have recently been demonstrated to remove lice and are increasingly deployed onto farms as cleaner fish. Commercial stocks of lumpfish are now produced in hatcheries to meet growing demand from farms across the Atlantic, however, concern grows regarding the long-term viability of this practise due to insufficient knowledge on lumpfish biology. Challenges include understanding how patterns of genetic and phenotypic variation influence performance, whether desirable traits can inform captive breeding, potential impacts on wild populations and whether intraspecific variation in cleaning behaviour can be optimized. Therefore, this thesis examined genetic and phenotypic variation in lumpfish across multiple biological scales, ranging from populations down to family stocks and individuals, investigating factors influencing aquaculture performance. Chapter 1 found genetic structure in populations across the Atlantic, with limited gene flow separating regions of lumpfish aquaculture. Chapter 2 identified phenotypic differences in the body morphology of stocks, including variation in scutes and body depth of northern and southern phenotypes. Sexual dimorphism was identified in the mouth, flag, hump and caudal peduncle. Chapter 3 showed further phenotypic differences in fitness-related traits, with faster growth, more active swimming and lower survival associated with northern stocks. Chapter 4 developed protocols to quantify lumpfish personality and found that bolder individuals interacted more with salmon, whereas, a syndrome for social-aggression was linked to antagonistic behaviour. Patterns of genetic and phenotypic variation imply population differentiation is reflected in stocks commonly used in aquaculture. Common-garden trials suggested translocated lumpfish show reduced fitness, therefore establishing regionally-specific stocks may benefit performance and minimise detriment to wild populations via introgression through farm escapes. Personality constituted a major source of variation in cleaning behaviour, selecting bold lumpfish could optimise efficiency.

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Personality profiling may help select better cleaner fish for sea-lice control in salmon farming

10.1101/2021.05.21.444956 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Benjamin Alexander Whittaker ◽

Sofia Consuegra ◽

Carlos Garcia de Leaniz

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Salmon ◽

Salmo Salar ◽

Artificial Selection ◽

Sea Lice ◽

Cleaner Fish ◽

Salmon Farming ◽

Cyclopterus Lumpus ◽

Atlantic Salmon Salmo Salar ◽

Number Of Individuals ◽

Practical Implications

Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) are increasingly being used as cleaner fish to control parasitic sea lice in salmon farming, but cleaning rates are very variable and not all individuals eat sea lice, which increases the risk of emaciation and has ethical and practical implications. Selecting good cleaners is a priority to make the industry more sustainable, but there is little information on what behaviours make cleaner fish effective under a commercial setting. We examined variation in lumpfish personalities according to the five factor personality model that takes into account differences in activity, anxiety (shelter use, thigmotaxis), aggression, sociality, and boldness (neophobia). We then quantified how variation in lumpfish personalities influenced interactions with naive Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), without the confounding effects of variation in sea lice loads. Variation in activity, sociality, aggression and neophobia, but not in anxiety, was repeatable, which is consistent with a heritable basis. Neophilic, non aggressive lumpfish spent more time inspecting salmon than neophobic and aggressive individuals, but salmon fled in the presence of the most active and social individuals, suggesting there may be an optimal cleaner fish personality amenable to artificial selection. The personality screening protocols developed in this study could inform a more efficient use of cleaner fish in salmon farming and reduce the number of individuals required to control sea lice

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Is Habituation Measurable in Lumpfish Cyclopterus lumpus When Used as Cleaner Fish in Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar Aquaculture?

Frontiers in Veterinary Science ◽

10.3389/fvets.2019.00227 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Fredrik R. Staven ◽

Jarle T. Nordeide ◽

Albert K. Imsland ◽

Per Andersen ◽

Nina S. Iversen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Salmon ◽

Salmo Salar ◽

Cleaner Fish ◽

Cyclopterus Lumpus ◽

Atlantic Salmon Salmo Salar

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Human Consumption of 'Afterbirth' (Maternal Placentophagy): A 'Natural' and Beneficial Practice?

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e639212011-001 ◽

2010 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Benyshek

Keyword(s):

Human Consumption

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Evaluation of Microbial Load from Canned Soya Milk Drinks in Malaysia

Research in Pharmacy and Health Sciences ◽

10.32463/rphs.2016.v02i01.04 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 22-25

Author(s):

Nur Amalina binti Mustafa ◽

Muhammad Ashraf bin Redzuan ◽

Muhamad Hazim bin Zuraimi ◽

Muhamad Shuhaimi bin Shuib ◽

Shahnaz Majeed ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Culture Media ◽

Storage Condition ◽

Storage Conditions ◽

Nutrient Agar ◽

Microbial Load ◽

Blood Agar ◽

Human Consumption ◽

Processing Unit ◽

Soya Milk ◽

Two Samples

Objective: Owing to the habit of consuming ready food among the citizens of Malaysia a study was conducted to evaluate 20 samples of canned soya milk for the presence of possible microbial content. The samples were collected randomly from shopping malls, restaurants and kiosk in Ipoh Malaysia. Methods: All samples collected across Ipoh, were subjected to test for presence bacteria in nutrient agar, blood agar and macConkey media. The possible microbial load was swapped from surface and soya milk content with a sterile cotton and streaked on nutrient agar, blood agar and macConkey culture media. The streaked petri plates were incubated for 48 hours at 37oC. Results: The study revealed negative microbial growth in all except two samples from the surface and soya milk content collected from a restaurant in nutrient agar and blood agar medium. The presence of microbes was conformed as gram positive staphylococcus sp. through gram staining. The positive growth may be imputed to poor storage condition at the restaurant. Conclusion: It can be computed from the study that the majority of the samples were free from bacterial growth, suggesting strong in house quality control mechanism at the processing unit and exquisite storage conditions in malls and kiosk suggesting that soya milk available in malls and kiosk are fit for human consumption.

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Exposure of the Gulf of St. Lawrence grey seal Halichoerus grypus population to potentially zoonotic infectious agents

Diseases of Aquatic Organisms ◽

10.3354/dao03536 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 142 ◽

pp. 105-118

Author(s):

CC Sauvé ◽

A Hernández-Ortiz ◽

E Jenkins ◽

F Mavrot ◽

A Schneider ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Meat Products ◽

Halichoerus Grypus ◽

Human Consumption ◽

Infectious Agents ◽

Erysipelothrix Rhusiopathiae ◽

Public Health Significance ◽

Domestic Livestock ◽

Health Significance ◽

Commercial Source ◽

Polymerase Chain

The population of grey seals Halichoerus grypus in Canadian waters is currently used as a commercial source of meat for human consumption. As with domestic livestock, it is important to understand the occurrence in these seals of infectious agents that may be of public health significance and thus ensure appropriate measures are in place to avoid zoonotic transmission. This study examined the prevalence of antibodies against Brucella spp., Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, 6 serovars of Leptospira interrogans, and Toxoplasma gondii in 59 grey seals and determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) the presence of these potentially zoonotic agents in specific organs and tissues of seropositive animals. The presence of encysted Trichinella spp. larvae was also investigated by digestion of tongue, diaphragm and other muscle samples, but none were detected. Seroprevalence against Brucella spp. and E. rhusiopathiae was low (5 and 3%, respectively). All 59 seals tested had antibodies against L. interrogans, but no carrier of this bacterium was detected by PCR. Seroprevalence against T. gondii was 53%, and DNA of this protozoan was detected by PCR in 11/30 (37%) seropositive animals. Standard sanitary measures mandatory for commercialization of meat products for human consumption should greatly reduce the potential for exposure to these infectious agents. However, special consideration should be given to freezing seal meat for at least 3 d to ensure destruction of tissue cysts of T. gondii.

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Living, Again: Population and Paradox in Recent Cinema

Oxford Literary Review ◽

10.3366/olr.2016.0179 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 38 (1) ◽

pp. 47-65

Author(s):

Keith Clavin

Keyword(s):

Human Population ◽

Population Control ◽

Human Consumption ◽

Social Revolution ◽

Drastic Increase

The last several decades have witnessed a drastic increase in ecological writing, but also a substantial lack in regards to the discussion of human population control. This article argues that the deficiency has been reproduced within several recent examples of eco-cinema, Snowpiercer and Mad Max: Fury Road. Despite strong conservationist themes and narratives encouraging social revolution, the films encounter similar theoretical difficulties, and enact similar resulting absences, within their representational fields. As a consequence, the environmental topics are filtered through an anthropocentric lens that generates a set of paradoxes regarding human consumption, sacrifice and the visualisation of future sustainable states.

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Determination of natural radionuclides in waste generated in the potable water treatment plants of the Zona da Mata of the state of Pernambuco- Brazil

Brazilian Journal of Radiation Sciences ◽

10.15392/bjrs.v7i2a.763 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (2A) ◽

Author(s):

Adriana Muniz De Almeida Albuquerque

Keyword(s):

Water Treatment ◽

Potable Water ◽

Natural Radionuclides ◽

The United States ◽

Radioactive Material ◽

Human Consumption ◽

Radiological Protection ◽

Natural Occurrence ◽

Water Treatment Plants ◽

Potable Water Treatment

The water purification procedure aims to obtain a product appropriate for human consumption, minimizing the presence of contaminants and toxic substances present in the water. Among these contaminants, some radionuclides of natural origin, such as uranium, thorium and their descendants, have been identified. Studies have shown that the stages of purification are quite effective in removing the radionuclides contained in water. The removal is due to co-precipitation of the radionuclides with the suspended materials and the precipitated material is accumulated and characterized as a Technologically Concentrated Natural Occurrence Radioactive Material (TENORM) by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). This residue can present significant levels of radioactivity and, when discarded in the environment without any treatment, can generate a problem of environmental impact and a risk to the health of the population. In this way, some gamma emitters of the series of U, Th and the K-40 were determined in the residues generated at the Potable Water Treatment Plants – PWTPs in six municipalities of Pernambuco. The results obtain corroborate the classification of the residues generated in the PWTPs as concentrators of the radioactive components contained in the water supplied to the system and reinforce the need for the release to the environment, which is the usual way of disposal of this waste, to be carried out only after considering the radiological protection standards established.

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