Fish Parasites: A Handbook of Protocols for their Isolation, Culture and Transmission

Good fish health and welfare are essential components of sustainable aquaculture and, in this regard, fish parasites constitute a major constraint to production. The aquaculture industries of areas affected by various disease outbreaks have suffered considerably from the impacts of marine and freshwater parasites. It is therefore fundamentally important to take steps to prevent parasite infection, as well as to properly identify, monitor and treat outbreaks when they occur.

ParaFishControl, an EU-funded project involving industry, academic and government partners drawn from across Europe, whose work has led to this book, is dedicated to effectively understanding and controlling a diverse range of fish parasites in order to promote the sustainability and competitiveness of the European aquaculture industry. Fish Parasites contains detailed outlines of the most up-to-date protocols for parasite isolation, culture and transmission, as well as detailed procedures for reproducing parasitic infections in a laboratory environment.

Protocols for tasks such as monitoring parasitic infection, isolating parasites and preparing parasite material are explained in detail. In addition, an introduction is provided to the biology and host interactions of each parasite discussed.

Fish Parasites provides an essential guide for those who are currently researching fish–parasite relations, as well as for those who may study fish health and welfare more generally or otherwise have broader interests in fish parasites.

M. Carla Piazzon is Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Aquaculture Torre de la Sal, CSIC, Spain. Geert Wiegertjes is Full Professor and Head of the Aquaculture and Fisheries Group at the University of Wageningen, The Netherlands. James E. Bron is Professor of Aquatic Animal Health at the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, UK. Ariadna Bobadilla is Full Professor and Head of the Fish Pathology Group at the Institute of Aquaculture Torre de la Sal, CSIC, Spain