Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 6, 2025
04:54
Assessing Mineral Availability in Fish Feeds using Complementary Methods Demonstrated with the Example of Zinc in Atlantic Salmon
Published on: October 29, 2021
3.2K
Anemia in salmon aquaculture: Scotland as a case study
A R Currie1,2, D Cockerill3, M Diez-Padrisa4
1School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, Scotland, UK.
Aquaculture (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
|January 18, 2022
Summary
Anemia in farmed salmon, characterized by reduced hemoglobin, impacts fish health and growth. This study suggests gill blood loss as a likely cause of regenerative anemia in Scottish Atlantic salmon farms.
Area of Science:
- Aquaculture
- Fish Health
- Hematology
Background:
- Anemia in salmonids is a blood disorder reducing hemoglobin and erythrocytes, leading to poor growth and health.
- Potential causes include environmental changes, infections, nutritional deficiencies, or hemorrhaging.
- Scottish salmon farms reported anemia outbreaks from 2017-2019, with limited understanding of its causes and mitigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review cases of anemia in cultured salmonids.
- To assess current and future hematological assessment methods.
- To present a case study of a recent anemia event in Scottish farmed Atlantic salmon.
Main Methods:
- Reviewed commercially significant and lesser-known cases of anemia in cultured salmonids.
- Examined clinical signs like gill discoloration and hemorrhages.
- Analyzed packed cell volume via microhematocrit centrifugation.
- Collected data from two major Scottish salmon producers for a case study (mid-late summer 2017 to 2019).
Main Results:
- Anemia events were reported at 1-13% of 80 surveyed Scottish marine sites.
- Clinical signs included gill discoloration and hemorrhages.
- The anemia observed was predominantly regenerative.
- Blood loss from gills is the most probable cause.
Conclusions:
- Anemia is a significant health challenge in salmonid aquaculture.
- Regenerative anemia, likely due to gill blood loss, affected Scottish Atlantic salmon farms.
- Further research into diagnostic methods and mitigation strategies is warranted.
