Possible use of lumpfish to control Caligus elongatus infestation on farmed Atlantic salmon: A mini review

Abstract

In this mini review, we systematized current knowledge about the number of Caligus elongatus on farmed Atlantic salmon in relation to the use of lumpfish as cleaner fish. The review was prompted by reports of an unusually large number of sea lice (C. elongatus) infestation of farmed salmon in northern Norway, Faroese Islands and Iceland and the urgent need to determine if common lumpfish can be used to reduce the number on farmed Atlantic salmon by actively grazing on sea lice. Available data from Norway clearly indicate that lumpfish grazes on C. elongatus, and it is possible to enhance this grazing with the assistances of live-feed conditioning prior to sea pen transfer and selective breeding. Observations from Iceland, Faroese Islands and Scotland also indicate that lumpfish can effectively lower infestations of C. elongatus on salmon. Overall, this mini review expresses that lumpfish can actively lower the number of C. elongatus on farmed Atlantic salmon.