A review of argulus spp. occurring in UK freshwaters
This report consists of a literature review on Argulus spp, a crustacean ectoparasite of fish, in freshwater in the UK.
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At present there is a serious lack of control measures and management strategies against outbreaks of Argulus, particularly in still water fisheries. Improved chemotherapies, which are acceptable environmentally and in terms of human health, may be developed, but prevention through improved management practices is a more favourable option and may well be the most practical option when dealing with a large open water system. However, in order to successfully identify suitable practices a much better understanding of the parasite is necessary. The current study into the population ecology and epidemiology of Argulus in the UK may lead to the identification of risk factors associated with epizootics of Argulus. Although it is probably not practical to totally eradicate or eliminate populations of Argulus in many stillwater fisheries, it may be possible by the removal of risk factors to keep population numbers at a level that will not cause the major problems associated with an outbreak.