Journal article
Effect of movement stress on immune function in farmed Australian abalone (hybrid Haliotis laevigata and Haliotis rubra)
C Hooper, R Day, R Slocombe, K Benkendorff, J Handlinger
Aquaculture | Published : 2011
Abstract
Current abalone mariculture practices include movement of stock to reduce stocking density in tanks and to grade abalone into similar sizes. Australian farmers report that this procedure leads to increased mortality rates in the days following movement. A standard movement procedure as currently done in Australia was investigated on farm as to its effects on haemocyte counts, phagocytic rates, antibacterial activity and lysosomal membrane stability (neutral red retention assay). The experimental design divided the movement process into the main causes of stress, comparing movement without anaesthesia (manual detachment or chipping), anaesthesia without movement and anaesthesia with subsequen..
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Funding Acknowledgements
We thank the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Australia, which supplied the funding for this research; Great Southern Waters Limited for allowing the research to be carried out and supporting it on their abalone farm; Jeremy Carson of the Fish Aquatic Health Unit, Department of Primary Industries, Tasmania for supplying the bacteria for the antibacterial assay; Athol Whitten of the University of Melbourne, Department of Zoology for his assistance on farm in collecting and processing samples; and Sandy Clarke of the Statistical Consulting Centre, The University of Melbourne, for comments on the experimental design of the study.