Two local species of Pacific perch are showing aptitude as “cleaner fish” for salmon aquaculture, which could reduce the need for chemical treatments of sea lice on ocean-based fish farms.
Preliminary trials in 2016 showed that both kelp perch and pile perch clean lice from infested salmon.
But a recent series of trials by Shannon Balfry — research associate at the B.C. Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences — have produced spectacular results.
“Pile perch have been known to pick sea lice off other fish in nature, so we thought we would give it a try and it worked,” she said.
In a recent trial four kelp perch were placed in a tank with 40 salmon infested with 370 sea lice and within 10 days only six lice remained.
“It was pretty incredible,” she said.
Randy Shore – Vancouver Sun – April 2, 2017.
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