Metazoan Parasite Life Cycles: Significance for Fish Mariculture

Abstract

Marine fish are a nutritious and high-value food commodity, but many wild-capture fisheries are in decline. Thus, marine fish culture is expected to expand greatly in coming years. Management of disease is a major problem in this industry, and metazoan parasites are among the most significant disease agents in terms of economic loss and animal welfare. Current methods for controlling metazoan parasites are mostly reactionary and rely on chemical treatment. Such methods are ultimately unsustainable. Here, we summarise the life cycles of marine metazoan parasites and how this knowledge can be used for nonchemical management and control. To aid the sustainable growth of marine fish culture, we advocate for a renewed research focus on the basic life history characteristics of parasites.

Keywords: aquaculture; control; disease; life history; management; transmission.