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
126	Fukushima fishermen not in the clear yet	japan times	2024-09-02	JP
127	Wexford man goes fishing for a cause close to his heart	independent	2024-09-01	IE
128	There are many fewer fish than previously believed	yourweather	2024-08-28	UK
129	Maldives drops plan to reopen longline tuna fishing following protests	mongabay	2024-09-05	MV
130	Divers catch record 31,773 venomous fish in tournament off Florida coast	the news tribune	2024-09-16	US
131	Advanced biomass camera proves a success for New Zealand salmon farms	the fish site	2024-09-16	NZ
132	The company blurring the lines between salmonid farming and conservation	the fish site	2024-09-11	AZ
133	230 anglers caught illegally fishing in marine reserves around New Zealand	NZ Herald	2024-09-06	NZ
134	See inside KC labs where fish regrow their hearts	kansas city	2024-09-03	US
135	Why are there so many dead fish in Baltimores Inner Harbor?	the baltimore banner	2024-09-04	US
136	Fish shot with bow escapes — but angler returns next day and breaks Missouri record	kansascity	2024-09-04	US
137	NOAA proposes expanding electronic reporting of fish catches	eenews	2024-09-05	US
138	Westlake great-grandmother reels in trophy fish off Canada coast	theacorn	2024-09-06	CA
139	Tributes flood in for ginormous orange carp nicknamed the Carrot after her death aged 20	dailymail	2024-09-05	UK
140	Huge fish throws itself into a boat slapping three terrified children across the face	dailymail	2024-09-06	UK
141	Kobudai Known For Large Size, Distinctive Faces	yomiuri	2024-09-07	JP
142	Smallmouth bass excursion on south shore of Lake of the Woods	echopress	2024-09-13	US
143	Old School for Old Fish	echopress	2024-09-13	US
144	Thief River Falls meeting highlights elk management views in northwest Minnesota	echopress	2024-09-13	US
145	Canadas cod fishery reopens, yet quickly paused	nationalfisherman	2024-09-10	CA
146	Endangered species protection still needed for Northern California steelhead	seafoodsource	2024-07-23	US
147	Canadian company fined for operating illegal steelhead farm	seafoodsource	2024-09-11	CA
148	Illegal fishing boats caught off WA escorted out of Australian waters	9news	2024-09-04	AU
149	Some Fish Check Their Size vs Their Opponent in the Mirror Before a Fight	the news tribune	2024-09-11	US
150	AZTI develops AI model to enhance fisheries sustainability	thefishsite	2024-09-10	SP