AEROMONAS-SALMONICIDA INFECTIVITY STUDIES IN GOLDSINNY WRASSE, CTENOLABRUS-RUPESTRIS (L)

Goldsinny wrasse, Ctenolabrus rupestris (L.). were experimentally and naturally infected with Aeromonas salmonicida. Goldsinny wrasse were f ound to be susceptible to infection with A. salmonicida but significan tly more resistant to infection than Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. T he pathology of the acute infection is described. Following infection significantly higher levels of agglutinating antibody were detected in the sera of recovered wrasse than those observed in the Atlantic salm on controls. However, a large proportion of the recovered wrasse were culture positive for A. salmonicida and appeared to have entered a chr onic stage of infection quire distinct from the carrier status that ca n develop in Atlantic salmon. This study indicates that, although gold sinny wrasse are susceptible to A. salmonicida, these fish are unlikel y to become primarily infected, but contract furunculosis from infecte d Atlantic salmon. However, goldsinny wrasse may act as a reservoir fo r subsequent infections of cultivated Atlantic salmon because of the d evelopment of a chronic form of the disease. The potential for the vac cination of goldsinny wrasse against furunculosis is discussed.