Predicting infestation parameters and impacts of caligid copepods in wild and cultured fish populations

Summary

The intensity and timing of infestation events of caligid copepods in wild or cultured fish populations may be predicted from previous local production of nauplius I of the parasite. However, this relationship is not well established, the spatial scales over which it operates are unclear, and the role of host reactions to the invading copepodid is unknown. Rate of development (and population structure), generation time and rate and actual reproductive output are temperature-dependent. In Ireland between five and seven generations of Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Krøyer) can develop annually and generation time varies from over 120 days in winter to 23 days in summer. Host reactions may affect the rate of development of the parasite but are less important than temperature. Host reactions may also cause parasite mortality, but this effect is specific for individual host parasite associations. The distribution of L. salmonis in cultured host populations is typically normal but is very over-dispersed in wild populations with heavy infestations. Parasiteinduced morphological damage to the host is correlated with physiological impacts. Physiological effects are present even when morphological damage is slight and so intermittent chemotherapeutic control of infestations cannot prevent some parasite impact from occurring.