Hyperpigmentation in North Sea Dab (Limandalimanda): Spatial and Temporal Patterns, Host Effectsand Possible Causes. ICES CM
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ICES ASC 2008/D:03 Theme Session D: New trends in diseases of marine organisms: causes and effects - Not to be cited without prior reference to the authors - Hyperpigmentation in North Sea dab (Limanda limanda): spatial and temporal patterns, host effects and possible causes Felix Baumgart 1,2, Thomas Lang 2, Stephen Feist 3, David Bruno 4, Patricia Noguera 4 and Werner Wosniok 5 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Zoology, University of Rostock, Universitätsplatz 2, 18055 Rostock, Germany, E-mail: [email protected] 2 Federal Research Centre for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries (vTI), Institute of Fishery Ecology, Deichstraße 12, 27472 Cuxhaven, Germany, E-mail: [email protected] 3 Cefas Weymouth Laboratory, Barrack Road, The Nothe, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB, UK, E-mail: [email protected] 4 Fisheries Research Services, Marine Laboratory, PO Box 101, 375 Victoria Road, Aberdeen AB11 9DB, UK, E-mails: [email protected]; [email protected] 5 University of Bremen, Institute of Statistics, PO Box 330440, 28334 Bremen, Germany, E-mail: [email protected] Abstract Hyperpigmentation is a term describing a pigment anomaly affecting dab (Limanda limanda) in the North Sea and, less frequently, dab in adjacent areas and other North Sea flatfish species. The condition is characterised by the occurrence of green to black patchy pigment spots in the skin of the upper body side and pearly-white pigment spots in the skin of the lower body side, caused by a hyperplasia of pigment cells (melanophores and iridiphores, respectively). In heavily affected fish, the condition is sometimes associated with inflammatory reactions in the integument. The most interesting aspect is the significant increase in prevalence that has been recorded in almost all North Sea areas in the past approximately 20 years. Prevalences recorded in hot spot areas for this condition increased from approximately 5 % to more than 50 %. There is a pronounced spatial pattern of hyperpigmentation in the North Sea, with higher prevalences in areas closer to the coast compared to areas in the more central part of North Sea. In the dab stock from the western Baltic Sea, hyperpigmentation is virtually absent. There is indication that hyperpigmentation is related to size and age and that it affects growth and condition of affected fish. Some of the potential causes of hyperpigmentation have been studied (involvement of pathogens) and these are highlighted in the present paper others still need to be studied. Keywords: pigment anomaly, hyperpigmentation, North Sea dab, spatial and temporal patterns ICES ASC 2008 1 Introduction The present study focuses on the occurrence of hyperpigmentation, a specific pigment anomaly of the skin known since the 1980s to occur in North Sea dab (Limanda limanda). In flatfish species, pigment anomalies are well documented and have been described in the literature to affect wild populations (De Veen 1969, Gartner 1986, Macieira et al. 2006) as well as fish in aquaculture (Ottesen & Strand 1996, Venizelos & Benetti 1999, Bolker & Hill 2000). However, there is indication that both the prevalence and the types of pigment anomalies described in the literature are different from the hyperpigmentation recorded in North Sea dab. Hyperpigmentation is one of the externally visible diseases of dab recommended as target disease for fish diseases surveys in the North Sea and adjacent areas and is included in the methodological guidelines for general biological effects monitoring under the OSPAR Joint Assessment and Monitoring Programme (JAMP) (OSPAR 1997). Consequently, it has been incorporated in the range of diseases recorded in the German fish disease monitoring programme and long-term data are available for the North Sea and the western Baltic Sea. Additional, but more scattered data (in terms of regional and temporal coverage), are available from reference areas, e.g. the English Channel, Irish Sea, Celtic Sea and Icelandic waters. The common dab is characterised by a wide distribution in the North Sea and adjacent areas in connection with a high abundance (Bohl 1957, Daan et al. 1990, Rijnsdorp et al. 1992, Knijn et al. 1993, Zühlke 2001). It is a relatively stationary species (Bohl 1957, Lozan 1989, Damm et al. 1991) and it is considered to react sensitively to environmental stressors (Dethlefsen et al. 1987, Lang et al. 2003). Because of these reasons, dab is widely used as bioindicator in national and international programmes monitoring and assessing effects of anthropogenic stressors on fish health largely in the North Sea and methodological guidelines for various parameters are available (McVicar et al. 1988, OSPAR 1997, 2003, Bucke et al. 1996, Feist et al. 2004). The study the results of which are presented aimed at providing information on: • macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of hyperpigmentation in dab • spatial and temporal patterns in the prevalence of hyperpigmentation • the impact of host-specific factors (e.g. size, age, sex) on the prevalence of hyperpigmentation • effects of hyperpigmentation on the host • possible causes of hyperpigmentation ICES ASC 2008 2 Materials and methods Sampling and disease examination The German long-term fish disease monitoring has been carried out on board RV Walther Herwig II and III since the early 1980s during winter cruises (December) and summer cruises (August/September) (Tab. 1). At present, diseases are recorded in 12 main sampling areas in the North Sea and at least 3 main sampling areas in the Baltic Sea (for location, see Tab. 2 and Fig. 3). More limited studies were also carried out in adjacent waters such as the English Channel, Irish Sea, Celtic Sea and at reference areas at the south coast of Iceland. Fishing is carried out by means of bottom trawling with standard gears (GOV or 140 ft bottom trawl), with a towing time of 1 hour and a speed of 3 - 4 knots. Per sampling area, usually 3 - 5 hauls are taken. Tissue samples for histology and samples for virology and bacteriology were taken during the Research Cruise 194 (30.05. - 03.06.2007) of RV Scotia (UK) from the Scottish areas of the North Sea (Marr Bank, Moray Firth, Bell Rock, Wee Bankie, St. Abbs and Fair Isle). Table 1: Research cruises of RV Walther Herwig II and III in 12 North Sea areas (N) and 3 Baltic Sea areas (B), S = Summer cruise, W = Winter cruise, blank = no cruise; each sampling campaign takes 17 - 22 days. Date Cruise Sampling area (dd/mm/yy) ID N01 N02 N03 N04 N05 N06 N07 N10 N11 N22 P01 P02 B01 B12 B11 07/06/88 WH090 S S S S S S S S S 04/01/89 WH094 W W W W W W W W 20/05/89 WH098 S S S S S S S S S 05/01/90 WH103 W W W W W W W W 05/05/90 WH107 S S S S S S S S S 03/01/91 WH112 W W W W W W W W W W 26/06/91 WH116 S S S S S S S 04/01/92 WH120 W W W W W W W W W W W W 18/06/92 WH125 S S S S S S S S 07/01/93 WH130 W W W W W W W W 24/06/93 WH135 S S S S S S S 11/01/94 WH142 W W W W W W W W W W W 22/06/94 WH148 S S S S S S 06/01/95 WH155 W W W W W W W 20/06/95 WH161 S S S S S S S S 03/01/96 WH167 W W W W W W W W W W W W W 08/05/96 WH172 S S S S S S S S 20/12/96 WH178 W W W 17/05/97 WH185 S S S S S S S S S 21/12/97 WH191 W W W W W W W 11/05/98 WH195 S S S S S S S S S 14/12/98 WH200 W W W W W W W W W W W 15/06/99 10/12/99 WH212 W W W W W W W W W W W 15/06/00 10/12/00 WH223 W W W W W W W W W W 15/08/01 14/12/01 WH234 W W W W W W W W 24/08/02 WH242 S S S S S S S 13/12/02 WH245 W W W W W W W 30/08/03 WH255 S S S S S S S S S S 17/12/03 WH258 W W W W W W 16/09/04 WH267 S S S S S S S S S S S S S S 07/12/04 WH269 W W W W W W W W W W W 26/08/05 WH278 S S S S S S S S 19/12/05 WH281 W W W W 02/09/06 WH291 S S S S S S S S S 12/12/06 WH294 W W W W W W W W W ICES ASC 2008 3 Fish for disease examination are sorted from the catches immediately and are kept alive in seawater. For the Scotia samples fish are not kept alive but sorted and checked immediately. The catch com- position is recorded and catch data are used to calculate the catch per unit effort (CPUE) for dab (number/weight of specimens per one hour of trawling). The total length (to the cm below) and wet weight are measured in specimens taken for disease wetweight[g]·100 examination, facilitating the calculation of condition factors (CF = length[cm]3 ).