Management of finfish and shellfish larval health in aquaculture hatcheries

Abstract This chapter looks at the issues surrounding health of finfish and shellfish larvae in the aquaculture environment. The chapter will examine issues such as biosecurity to see how it forms the cornerstone of effective hatchery management and how problems can arise when biosecnrity fails. Then the chapter looks at how the health of the larvae can be manipnlated and how the larvae can be protected from potential pathogens by good management. 

Key words larvae, vaccine, immmnnostimnlant, thymus, biosecurity, immunity, live feeds, hatchery, water quality, health. 

Although many authors credit China as the birthplace of aquaculture in 2000 BME, they were simply growing wild collected fish in ponds for commercial harvest, similar to Egyptian ancient aquaculture in a system whereby carp were collected as fry and transferred to special ongrowing ponds. In the 5 century BME, the culture of silver carp Hypophthalmi-chthys molitrix) was detailed in a manuscript by Fan li.This has been dated to 460 BME and is currently believed to be the first description of a species where the whole of the life-cycle was completed in captivity. This was the start of the domestication of fish and led to the first species being developed totally in aquaculture, the humble goldfish, which has never existed in the wild. 

The types of pathogen that may become problematic include bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi. Depending on the type of pathogen, various routes are open to the pathogen to become problematic both within the 

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Management of finfish and shellfish larval health in aquaculture hatcheries... 

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