Central Annals of Aquaculture and Research Review Article *Corresponding author Carmen Sarasquete, Department of Biotechnology & Aquaculture, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Updated of the Pathologies Andalucía-ICMAN.CSIC-, 11510-Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain, Tel: 34-956832612; Email: Affecting Cultured Gilthead Submitted: 22 March 2017 Accepted: 12 April 2017 Seabream, Sparus aurata Published: 14 April 2017 ISSN: 2379-0881 Juan J. Borrego1, Alejandro M. Labella1, Dolores Castro1, Juan B. Copyright 2 2 Ortiz-Delgado , and Carmen Sarasquete * © 2017 Sarasquete et al. 1Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad de Málaga, Spain 2Department of Biotechnology & Aquaculture, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de OPEN ACCESS Andalucía, Spain Keywords • Gilthead seabream Abstract • Aquaculture Among other Sparidae species, the gilthead seabream Sparus aurata is the most • Pathologies important fish species in the Mediterranean aquaculture, achieving good growth • Diseases performances and progressive increased production. However, health management • Infectious agents remains as one of the major concerns of the gilthead seabream culture, because • Skeletal disorders diseases can cause major losses to commercial crops. In suboptimal conditions of • Malformational alterations intensive rearing systems, the danger of disease outbreaks is always present. Since quarantine restrictions were rarely adopted, several microbial pathogens have been transmitted to other geographic locations, and frequently they have colonized new fish hosts and/or new environments. In this work, we have updated some of the most important and also serious pathologies and diseases that from many years ago and presently affect to reared gilthead seabream specimens, mainly those with uncertain or complex aetiology (genetic, nutritional, zootechnic, among others), such as malformations-vertebral deformities, as well as those more classical and emergent parasitic and infectious pathologies and diseases. In addition, avalaible treatment and/or prophylactic measures are also discussed. INTRODUCTION An Gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), a member of the family adequate aquaculture practice must also consider other matters and expansion of the ornamental fish trade to name a few [3]. Sparidae, is found in the Mediterranean Sea and extends into the Atlantic Ocean from the British Isles south to Senegal. Most that are not directly related to fish health because public concerns countries around the Mediterranean culture gilthead seabream; Thus, the environmental impacts of the culture operation, the have a significant influence on how and where fish are cultured. Greece, Turkey, and Spain are the major producers in the region, accounting for over 70% of total production. The culturing of S. welfare are other important factors taking into account to achieve safety of cutured product for human consumption, and the fish aurata has achieved impressive strides in much less than two a sustainable practice of the aquaculture [4]. Most of the diseases that cause serious problems in than 173,000 Tm in 2013 [1,2]. This success is the result of strong researchdecades, goingand development from an estimated programs 110 in Tm many of fish of thein 1985 countries, to more in fromcultured another fish aregeographic provoked area. by exoticThus, pathogens;an effective that biosecurity is, they species. However, the rapid development of gilthead seabream programmewere inadvertently is vital to introduced maintaining into healthy a region animals via andinfected to reduce fish farmingconjuction has with not a persistentlybeen paralleled strong by market adequate demand progress for this in fishthe veterinary aspects of its culture. to the implementation of methods to prevent the spread of the risk of adquiring disease in a fish facility. Biosecurity refers Fish diseases are a primary constraint to the culture of many infectious diseases within a farm, and to avoid their transmission aquatic species, avoiding both economic and social development in producer countries. This situation can be attributed to used to maintain biosecurity are pathogen inactivation strategies to wild fish populations or to adjacent fish farms. Key methods a variety of interconnected factors such as, the increased globalization of trade in live aquatic animals and their products; and avoiding fish-to-fish transmission by mean of. geographic isolation of affected farms, separation of diseased fish, specific- In order to minimize the risks of pathogens/diseases the intensification of aquaculture through the translocation of pathogen-free stocks, and quarantine measures [5] broodstock, postlarvae, fry and fingerlings; and the development Cite this article: Borrego JJ, Labella AM, Castro D, Ortiz-Delgado JB, Sarasquete C (2017) Updated of the Pathologies Affecting Cultured Gilthead Seabream, Sparus aurata. Ann Aquac Res 4(2): 1033. Sarasquete et al. (2017) Email: Central associated with aquatic animal movements, there are a number in gilthead seabream is due to environmental factors. Therefore, of existing global instruments, agreements, codes of practice and environmental conditions, nutritional imbalances and genetic guidelines (International Codes) that, if implemented, provide factors or their interaction, is believed to be on the basis of most certain levels of protection. Some of the provisions in the current skeletal alterations S. aurata international protocols are not always practically applicable Interestingly, by using specimenshistological, [9,10,14,17-23]. histochemistry and immunohistochemistry approaches, recently we have been regionally adopted health management programme is considered registered two types of opercular anomalies in reared gilthead ato practicalthe diseases approach. of concern Subasinghe to a etspecific al. [6], region. recommended Therefore, that a seabream specimens [13], which were described according to the development of standardized methods for disease diagnosis and screening of pathogens, along with regular evaluation of their effectiveness as compared with other diagnostic methods should gillclassification chamber, previouslystarting at reportedthe upper by corner Beraldo of theet al. branchial [24], Type cleft I: be a priority task. Vaccination is another established, proven and the folding of the operculum (opercle and sub-opercle) into the lack of the operculum (lack of development of the opercle, in cultured marine animals. Vaccines decrease the severity subopercle,and extending interopercle down to its and lower preopercle) third; and with Type a II:regression the partial of ofcost-effective disease losses, method reduce for controllingthe need for certain antibiotic infectious use, leavediseases no the loose edge extending down to its lower third. The overall residues in the product and do not induce pathogen resistance. In conjunction with good health management and good husbandry opercular abnormalities unilaterally affected both sides of the practices, there is great potential for the use of vaccine technology incidence of fish with deformed operculum was 6.3%. These bilateral abnormality in the operculum only affected 1.1% of the head: the right (3.3%) and left (3.0%) equally; whereas the for specificIn this work, use in we marine have revisedaquaculture. the main infectious pathologies affecting to both wild and reared gilthead seabream; and in showed internal lesions characterised by an accentuated ventral addition, some pathologies provoked by physiological (i.e. curvaturereared fish. (lordosis) Fish with of thea severe vertebral external column. body The shape degree deformity of these nutritional disorders), not optimal or inadequate rearing or pathological symptoms varied along the vertebral column axis environmental conditions, and potential genetic factors have also been updated. Future perspectives on welfare, treatment haemal and haemal areas of the vertebral column (position 11 and prophylactic measures to improve the Mediterranean and mainly affected vertebrae located between the limit of pre- aquaculture are also discussed. lordosis was 10.1%. These histological and histopathological disordersto 15 from indicated urostyle upwards).that the reduced The incidence opercular of fish surface affected in the by Malformational and skeletal disorders Type I deformity in gilthead seabream was mainly due to the The presence of morphological abnormalities in reared folding of the edge of the opercle from the superior corner gilthead seabream is an important problem for current towards the gill chamber. The conservation of the different opercular bones that compose the operculum suggested an effect Malformations can affect different aspects of the morphology of of the rearing conditions during sensitive developmental periods, aquaculture and it entails significant economic losses. coinciding with the beginning of skeletogenesis of the opercular reducesthe fish suchthe asmarket pigmentation, value of shape,the species scales, commercializedskeleton and swim as bladder. The high incidence of some malformations significantly thecomplex, supportive which tissue is formed of the by operculum intramembranous was not yet ossification formed at from this earlya condensed developmental core of mesenchymal period, mechanical cells [24,25]. damage Considering (i.e. excessive that whole fish and implies an additional effort at farms to eliminate water movements) could cause this opercular malformation [26]. noticeableabnormal fishquantitative [7]. The variationsincidence ofcan vertebral