title: Two mortality events in sea-caged yellowtail kingfish Seriola lalandi Valenciennes, 1833 (Nannopercidae) from Western Australia.
abstract: In November 2008 a commercial sea-cage operator farming yellowtail kingfish, Seriola lalandi, in Western Australia reported more than 70% mortality of the sea-caged fish. Several parasites and potentially pathogenic bacteria were isolated from the fish, but despite a detailed laboratory investigation the cause of the mortality event was never ascertained. That episode of deaths was followed in January 2009 by a smaller mortality event in fish in a sea cage that had been stocked several weeks earlier. Pathogens similar to those seen in the first mortality event were isolated, but again a single causative agent could not be identified. Multiple stress factors resulting in immunosuppression may have precipitated the mortality events.
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Department of Fisheries, North Beach, Western Australia 6920, Australia. fstephens@agric.wa.gov.au
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Stephens
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Savage
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture / Q000379:methods*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000469:parasitology; D005399:Fishes; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality