Enriched rearing environment and wild genetic background can enhance survival and disease resistance of salmonid fishes during parasite epidemics

摘要: Summary 1. The importance and volume of aquaculture is increasing world-wide. Rearing practices play a key role in determining growth rate, survival disease resistance fishes. Recent evidence suggests that comparison with standard stimulus-poor rearing environment, an enriched or variable environment has significant positive effects on several traits underlying well-being fish. However, the effect one most important threats for development, occurrence parasitic infections, remains unknown. 2. We used surveillance data experimental salmonid populations wild hatchery origin under semi-natural parasite exposure to explore outbreaks pathogens associated fish mortalities production-scale densities. also conducted controlled exposures investigate if reduces susceptibility infection conditions. 3. found influencing during epidemics. Essentially, from had higher lower greater infections compared held Similarly, genetic background mortality some epidemics origin. we demonstrate variation these patterns cases tendency opposite depending species nature epidemic. 4. Synthesis applications. Our results suggest can be managed through This may have implications economically ecologically sustainable prevention strategies aquaculture.