scholarly journals Sea Lice Are Sensitive to Low Frequency Sounds

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 765
Author(s):  
Marta Solé ◽  
Marc Lenoir ◽  
José-Manuel Fortuño ◽  
Steffen De Vreese ◽  
Mike van der Schaar ◽  
...  

The salmon louse Lepeophtheirus salmonis is a major disease problem in salmonids farming and there are indications that it also plays a role in the decline of wild salmon stocks. This study shows the first ultrastructural images of pathological changes in the sensory setae of the first antenna and in inner tissues in different stages of L. salmonis development after sound exposure in laboratory and sea conditions. Given the current ineffectiveness of traditional methods to eradicate this plague, and the strong impact on the environment these treatments often provoke, the described response to sounds and the associated injuries in the lice sensory organs could represent an interesting basis for developing a bioacoustics method to prevent lice infection and to treat affected salmons.

2012 ◽  
Vol 367 (1596) ◽  
pp. 1770-1779 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. Brauner ◽  
M. Sackville ◽  
Z. Gallagher ◽  
S. Tang ◽  
L. Nendick ◽  
...  

Pink salmon, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha , are the most abundant wild salmon species and are thought of as an indicator of ecosystem health. The salmon louse, Lepeophtheirus salmonis , is endemic to pink salmon habitat but these ectoparasites have been implicated in reducing local pink salmon populations in the Broughton Archipelago, British Columbia. This allegation arose largely because juvenile pink salmon migrate past commercial open net salmon farms, which are known to incubate the salmon louse. Juvenile pink salmon are thought to be especially sensitive to this ectoparasite because they enter the sea at such a small size (approx. 0.2 g). Here, we describe how ‘no effect’ thresholds for salmon louse sublethal impacts on juvenile pink salmon were determined using physiological principles. These data were accepted by environmental managers and are being used to minimize the impact of salmon aquaculture on wild pink salmon populations.


Science ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 322 (5909) ◽  
pp. 1790.3-1790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Krkošek ◽  
Jennifer S. Ford ◽  
Alexandra Morton ◽  
Subhash Lele ◽  
Mark A. Lewis

We evaluated the effect of sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) infestations on wild pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) populations in the Broughton Archipelago, British Columbia. Riddell et al. suggest that we ignored factors and selectively used data. Here, we clarify misunderstandings and provide analysis to test the strength of our conclusions.


2011 ◽  
Vol 89 (9) ◽  
pp. 796-807 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Tang ◽  
A.G. Lewis ◽  
M. Sackville ◽  
L. Nendick ◽  
C. DiBacco ◽  
...  

We observed diel vertical migration patterns in juvenile pink salmon ( Oncorhynchus gorbuscha (Walbaum, 1792)) and tested the hypothesis that fish behaviour is altered by exposure to sea lice copepodids. Experiments involved replicated field deployments of a large (9 m) plankton column, which provided a vertical distribution enclosure under natural light and salinity conditions. Diel vertical distributions of juvenile pink salmon were observed during the first 3 weeks of seawater acclimation in both the presence and the absence of the ectoparasitic salmon louse ( Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Krøyer, 1838)). Immediately upon entering seawater, juvenile pink salmon preferred the top 1 m of the water column, but they moved significantly deeper down the vertical water column as seawater acclimation time increased. A significant diel migration pattern was observed, which involved a preference for the surface at night-time, compared with daytime. When fish in the column were exposed to L. salmonis copepodids for 3 h, 43%–62% of fish became infected, fish expanded their vertical distribution range, and significant changes in vertical distribution patterns were observed.


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