Lack of Vitamin B1 Killing Great Lakes Fish

Lack of Vitamin B1 Killing Great Lakes Fish

Source: usgs

7/7/2014

Great Lakes fish in the salmon family that rely on the fish “alewife” as part of their diet face a major obstacle in restoring naturally reproducing populations, according to new U.S. Geological Survey research published in the journal Fish and Shellfish Immunology.
Great Lakes fish in the salmon family that rely on the fish “alewife” as part of their diet face a major obstacle in restoring naturally reproducing populations, according to new U.S. Geological Survey research published in the journal Fish and Shellfish Immunology.

For more than a decade researchers have been trying to unravel the mystery of why Lake Trout and other salmonids that consume alewife produce spawn that die young. Although researchers have recognized the connection between thiamine and the death of the young fish for a decade, the new study provides an additional clue; fish that survive the initial impact of thiamine deficiency are experiencing changes in immune function that resemble those occurring in humans with inflammatory diseases.

Early Mortality Syndrome, or EMS, results in embryonic mortality in salmon, steelhead trout, brown trout, lake trout, and Chinook salmon. The symptoms of EMS include loss of equilibrium, swimming in a spiral pattern, lethargy, hyper-excitability, hemorrhage and death, which occurs between hatching and first feeding.

“Vitamin B1, or Thiamine, is an essential nutrient that animals must obtain through their diet,” said Chris Ottinger, a USGS immunologist and lead author of the study. “We found that alewives, one of the main diets of many Great Lakes fish, contains an enzyme called “thiaminase” that destroys the thiamine in fish that consume them. The lack of B1 leads to Early Mortality Syndrome as well as the newly reported immune dysfunctions that may be perpetuating infectious diseases in this fish community.”

Alewives came into the Great Lakes when the Welland Canal was built as invasive species. They dominated the prey base until Pacific salmon were introduced in part to control their population levels.

Trout, Lake

Continue...

News Id		Source	Stamp	country
4176	Kettle River closed to fishing until Aug. 25 to protect fish	bclocalnews	2020-06-30	CA
4177	Kettle River was first known as Nehoialpitku	nelsonstar	2015-06-07	CA
4178	Border jumper avoided arrest by floating down a B.C. river for hours: Mounties	ctvnews	2020-07-27	CA
4179	Learning from Indigenous leadership in Haida Gwaii	natureconservancy	2020-04-20	CA
4180	Quarter of fish in Hauraki Gulf have microplastics in their guts, study finds	stuff	2012-03-18	NZ
4181	'Black fish' scam trawlermen admit illegally landing £6.6m worth of herring and mackerel	dailyrecord	2012-06-14	UK
4182	Robotic fish’s painted smile helps it get friendly with tank-mates	metro	2012-06-08	UK
4183	Invasive snakehead predator fish caught in pond in B.C. park	thestar	2012-06-08	CA
4184	Agriculture minister refutes accusations about Animal Health	comoxvalleyrecord	2012-06-05	US
4185	Survey: Most Ohio Voters Worry About Invasive Fish	fox8	2012-06-05	CA
4186	Leaping sturgeon injures woman in Suwanee River	jacksonville	2012-06-05	US
4187	Why ‘River Monsters’ still rules reality television	hollywoodsoapbox	2012-05-29	US
4188	Otsego angler facing jail time, possible $3,000 fine	hometownsource	2012-05-29	US
4189	Pacific Bluefin Tuna Carrying Fukushima Radioactivity To California Coast	Underwatertimes	2012-05-29	US
4190	Rare encounter between 2 wild, shrieking lynx caught on video	CBC News	2018-05-21	CA
4191	Caught on cam: Dramatic river rescue at Little Qualicum Falls	ctvnews	2020-12-14	CA
4192	Rescue crews save man from raging Little Qualicum River waters	pqbnews	2020-12-13	CA
4193	Some Green Groups Oppose Lower Snake River Dam Removal Plan	Associated Press	2021-03-27	US
4194	Minnesota, Wisconsin DNR Tackle Invasive Carp on Mississippi	Associated Press	2021-03-31	US
4195	Rhode Island Moves up Start of Trout Fishing Season	Associated Press	2021-03-28	US
4196	North Carolina man found dead in river after jumping in to save son	Fox News	2021-03-24	US
4197	Canadian Coal Company Pays $60M for Environmental Damage	Associated Press	2021-03-29	US
4198	Behind the scenes at the Fish Hospital at Atlantis Dubai	CNN	2021-03-22	SA
4199	Biofluorescent fish documented in the Arctic for the first time	upi	2021-03-18	US
4200	Is your fish a fake? How to spot seafood fraud and what to do if you're suspicious	theguardian	2021-03-15	UK

167 of [217 - pages.]