LOBSTER HEALTH IN EARLY LIFE-
STAGESAndrea Battison &
Jean Lavallée
AVC Lobster Science Centre
Disease Knowledge Base?
Adult Larvae & Juveniles Gaffkemia
Bumper Car Calcinosis Shell disease …..
?? ?? ?? ?? …..
Need for Knowledge? Hatcheries:
Increasing number/production
Increased risk of production-related disease can be anticipated
Develop strategies to decrease & mitigate risks Increase overall production
Hatcheries:Potential Disease Risks Intensive production model
High density Artificial food source Artificial water source Artificial water movement patterns enclosed space, ‘walls’
STRESS general increased risk of
disease
Hatcheries:Potential Release Risks?
Expose ‘wild’ larvae to hatchery-origin infectious disease
Pre-release screening programs in other species e.g., re-introduction
Approach…
Document the disease level in hatchery-reared larval population
Compare to disease level in wild larval populations
Document Disease Level:Hatchery All life stages:
Egg Larval Stages I - IV
Multiple production times Early summer Mid-summer Late-summer
Document Disease Level: Hatchery Tissue for histological examination
100 eggs/production cycle 100 of each larval stage/production cycle 50% examined, 50% stored as reference material
Stage III
Larval Histology
Findings: Surface Fouling (gills)
Mild to moderate Stage III
Stage IV
Husbandry?
Findings: Erosion & Ulceration
Mild Multifocal Stage II – IV
Trauma?
Findings Protozoan infection
mortality (1 tank, one cycle only)
Gills - primary site of infection
Mild to marked, inflammation with melanin
Protozoal Infection:Gill
Protozoal Infection:Gill
Findings Protozoan infection
mortality (1 tank, one cycle only) Gills - primary site of infection Mild to marked, inflammation with melanin
Stages III & IV affected, all production cycles
Opportunist? Food source - negative
Disease Findings: Summary
Lesion Early Summer
Mid-Summer
Late Summer
Surface Fouling
SIII SIII & SIV SIII & SIV
Erosion/Ulceration
SII – SIV SIII
MuscleDegeneration
SII SI – SIII SI
Parasite Migration
SIII & SIV
ProtozoalInfection
SIIISIII - mortality
SIII & SIV
SIV
Summary Documented conditions seen in one
hatchery environment
Primary pathogen or opportunistic?
Decreased overall production? Intervention strategies possible?
Risk to wild-hatched population? Naturally present?
Questions?
Findings: Muscle
Degeneration Mild to moderate Multifocal Stages I –III
Nutritional?Exertional?Normal??
Stage I
Findings Parasite Migration
Mild Muscle Hepatopancreas ± inflammation Stage III & IV
Off-course?? Stage IV