The efficacy of emamectin benzoate (SLICE) against sea lice infestations of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., is typically assessed using untreated fish, or fish treated with alternative therapeutants, as controls. The State of Maine, USA, is currently under active management for the OIE-notifiable pathogen, infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV); consequently, neither control group is feasible ...

Genetic diversity was assessed in samples of cultured Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., obtained from facilities in Chile between 2005 and 2010, a period of time during which the infectious pathogens Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) virus, Caligus rogercresseyi (sea lice), and Piscirickettsia salmonis (salmon rickettsial syndrome) were common. Two panels of microsatellite markers were utilized: on...

Genetic population assignment used to inform wildlife management and conservation efforts requires panels of highly informative genetic markers and sensitive assignment tests. We explored the utility of machine-learning algorithms (random forest, regularized random forest and guided regularized random forest) compared with FST ranking for selection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) for f...

Few studies have examined changes in salmon gill ion transporter expression during the transition from seawater to freshwater, a pivotal moment in the salmonid life cycle. Seawater-acclimated Atlantic salmon were transferred to freshwater and blood and gill tissue were sampled over 30 days of acclimation. Salmon held in seawater had stable plasma osmolality and sodium and chloride levels throug...

As the global population and its demand for seafood increases more of our fish will come from aquaculture. Farmed Atlantic salmon are a global commodity and, as an oily fish, contain a rich source of the health promoting long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids. Replacing the traditional finite marine ingredients, fishmeal and fish oil, in farmed sa...

Adaptations at the gamete level (a) evolve quickly, (b) appear sensitive to inbreeding and outbreeding and (c) have important influences on potential to reproduce. We apply this understanding to problems posed by escaped farm salmon and measure their potential to reproduce in the wild. Farm Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are a threat to biodiversity, because they escape in large numbers and can ...

RNA recombination in non-segmented RNA viruses is important for viral evolution and documented for several virus species through in vitro studies. Here we confirm viral RNA recombination in vivo using an alphavirus, the SAV3 subtype of Salmon pancreas disease virus. The virus causes pancreas disease in Atlantic salmon and heavy losses in European salmonid aquaculture. Atlantic salmon were injec...

—A rapid genetic test to identify Pacific salmonid tissue samples to the species level is described. An exon (coding DNA) and its adjacent intron (noncoding DNA) of a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II gene were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction from eight Oncorhynchus species and the two Salmo species that have been transplanted to British Columbia. Among Pacific salmonid...

Mucosal immunity in mammals is mediated mainly by secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA), which is produced by IgA plasma cells commonly located in the lamina propria, and a transport system involving the polymeric Ig receptor (pIgR). In teleost fish, IgM plays some roles associated with mucosal defence. Very recent findings indicate that IgT, an antibody exclusive to teleosts, might have a special ...

Amoebic gill disease (AGD) is one of the largest threats to salmon aquaculture, causing serious economic and animal welfare burden. Treatments can be expensive and environmentally damaging, hence the need for alternative strategies. Breeding for disease resistance can contribute to prevention and control of AGD, providing long-term cumulative benefits in selected stocks. The use of genomic sele...