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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Orono, Maine » National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #332948
Research Project: Genetic Improvement Of Marine Fish and Shellfish

Location: National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center

Title: The three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus Linnaeus 1758 plays a minor role as a host of Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Kroyer 1837) in the gulf of Maine

Author
item Pietrak, Michael
item JENSEN, ALEXANDER - Michigan State University
item ZYDLEWSKI, GAYLE - University Of Maine
item BRICKNELL, IAN - University Of Maine

Submitted to: Journal of Fish Diseases
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/2019
Publication Date: 5/1/2019
Citation: Pietrak, M.R., Jensen, A., Zydlewski, G., Bricknell, I. 2019. The three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus Linnaeus 1758 plays a minor role as a host of Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Kroyer 1837) in the gulf of Maine. Journal of Fish Diseases. 42: 985-989. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfd.12998.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jfd.12998

Interpretive Summary: The paper is the first report of salmon lice using Three-spined Sticklebacks as host in the Gulf of Maine. The use of Three-spined Sticklebacks has been reported as common occurrence on the Pacific coast, but has only rarely been observed in the Atlantic with only one other report existing from Newfoundland. The paper discusses the impacts of the rare usage of Three-spined Sticklebacks as hosts on salmon lice management practices for Maine salmon farms.

Technical Abstract: The sea louse, Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Krøyer 1837), is a significant parasite of farmed salmon throughout the Northern hemisphere. Management of on-farm lice populations can be improved by understanding the role that wild fish play in sustaining and providing refuge for local populations of sea lice. While a 2012 survey of wild fish in Cobscook Bay, Maine revealed multiple wild hosts for Caligus elongatus (von Nordmann 1832), including Three-spined Sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.), no L. salmonis were found on the wild fish examined. Further examination of Three-spined Sticklebacks captured in Cobscook Bay the following year revealed two instances of L. salmonis utilizing Three-spined Sticklebacks as hosts.