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

by Ariadna Sitjà-Bobadilla, James. E. Bron, Geert Wiegertjes, M. Carla Piazzon
September 2021

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.