Cleaner fish in aquaculture: review on diseases and vaccination

Combating and controlling sea lice causes large economic costs for the farmers, with estimated values of more than 305 million euros (euro) per year. Increased resistance against traditional chemotherapeutants due to evolutionary drivers in the sea lice combined with the lack of an effective vaccine and few other chemical treatments available are expected to cause these costs to increase. Several possible methods for managing sea lice infestations have been investigated, but only cleaner fish has proven to have an effect on lice levels. Cleaning activity is well known in marine fish and has been observed in the wild as a form of symbiosis between two species: one species, the 'client' fish, seek out the other species, the 'cleaner' fish, to have ectoparasites and dead tissue cleared from its body. The Atlantic lumpfish is a relatively new aquaculture species, and wild-caught mature fish are used as brood stock for farmed production. This poses a biosecurity risk, as wild fish can carry pathogens, and the use of quarantine and health screening is recommended. Vaccine development is unfortunately lagging far behind relatively to the wide spread and high utilisation of the fish. This review contains description of the main pathogens and diseases that affect cleaner fish.

Automated summary

Controlling sea lice infestations is costly for farmers, with limited options available such as traditional chemotherapeutants and cleaner fish as the most effective method. The use of wild-caught mature fish as brood stock for farmed production poses biosecurity risks. Vaccine development for sea lice in fish is lagging behind the widespread use of aquaculture species.