Preliminary findings of ophthalmological abnormalities in farmed halibut

Ocular abnormalities occurring in farmed halibut at the Sea Fish Industry Authority Marine Farming Unit, Ardtoe, Argyll were investigated clinically and post mortem. A significant number of fish were found to have posterior polar cystic changes either causing scleral ectasia or gross degenerative posterior segment abnormalities with chorioretinal atrophy. Other ocular abnormalities included cataract formation and intraocular inflammation. In a small number of fish gas bubble formation in the anterior chamber was observed during capture and examination. It is possible that the lesions seen in these fish are a form of gas bubble disease although super-saturation, the cause of gas bubble disease previously reported in farmed fish, does not occur in the tanks in which these fish are housed. While this paper provides no answers with regard to the aetiopathogenesis of the lesions, it is hoped that it will stimulate discussion, leading to resolution of these questions through a multidisciplinary approach to the problem.