Field trials to evaluate the efficacy of emamectin benzoate in the controlof sea lice, Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Kroyer) and Caligus elongatus Nordmann, infestations in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L.
J. Stone et al., Field trials to evaluate the efficacy of emamectin benzoate in the controlof sea lice, Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Kroyer) and Caligus elongatus Nordmann, infestations in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L., AQUACULTURE, 186(3-4), 2000, pp. 205-219
Three field trials were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of emamectin ben
zoate as a treatment for sea lice, Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Kroyer) and Cal
igus elongatus (Nordmann), infestations on Atlantic salmon Salmo salar (L.)
. Trials were carried out at sea temperatures of 13.0-15.5 degrees C and 7.
2-8.5 degrees C. Salmon naturally infested with sea Lice, with mean weights
of 438, 513 and 2662 g, respectively, were held in experimental pens on co
mmercial sites. At day - 1 or -2, 20 or 30 fish were sampled from each pen
to determine pre-treatment numbers of lice. Emamectin benzoate was administ
ered in-feed at a dose of 50 mu g kg(-1) biomass day(-1) for 7 consecutive
days. Sea lice were counted again on days 7, 14 and 21, and comparisons mad
e with untreated control fish.
Treatment with emamectin benzoate was effective against chalimus and motile
stages of sea lice. In all three trials, treated groups were surrounded by
pens of heavily infested fish and L. salmonis numbers increased over time
on control fish by 87-284%, whereas over the same period, L. salmonis were
reduced on treated fish by 68-98%. In the low temperature trial, reductions
were slower but numbers were still 90% lower than on control fish at day 2
1. At the end of the third trial, both control pens were treated with hydro
gen peroxide owing to heavy lice burdens. However, L. salmonis numbers rapi
dly increased again and at day 55, fish treated only with emamectin benzoat
e still had 80% fewer lice than control fish. In the two summer trials, lar
ge numbers of C. elongatus were rapidly reduced by treatment with 82-84% ef
ficacy by day 21. Despite the potential for continuous re-infestation, oral
treatment with emamectin benzoate presented an effective means of controll
ing all parasitic stages of L. salmonis and C. elongatus on fanned salmon,
and in one trial, numbers remained lower on treated fish for at least 55 da
ys. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.