
Kate S HutsonCawthron Institute | CI · Aquaculture
Kate S Hutson
BSc Hons PhD
About
118
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Introduction
I work as a senior scientist and am the programme lead for aquatic animal health at the Cawthron Institute in New Zealand. My research involves initiatives in disease prevention, diagnostics and treatment of farmed shellfish and fish. I especially enjoy fish health, ornamentals, biocontrols and parasitology. I previously led the Marine Parasitology Laboratory at James Cook University, Australia where I continue to supervise HDR students in my role as adjunct Associate Professor.
Publications
Publications (118)
Intracellular, free‐floating and biofilm‐forming bacterial pathogens have been implicated in summer mortality of farmed Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha , in New Zealand. A mortality event in 2022 in the Pelorus Sound, Marlborough, was linked to high water temperatures (> 18°C), and bacterial skin disease associated with Piscirickettsia spp...
The bacterial skin disease tenacibaculosis, caused by Tenacibaculum species, can compromise numerous species of economically important marine fish, including salmonids. While tenacibaculosis is a known threat to Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) aquaculture, the pathogenesis of Tenacibaculum maritimum and Tenacibaculum dicentrarchi on Chinook salmon...
Tenacibaculum maritimum is a cosmopolitan bacterial pathogen with the potential to cause significant losses in a broad range of farmed and wild marine fish species. This study investigated the antigenic diversity of T. maritimum isolated in culture from farmed Chinook (king) salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) from the Marlborough Sounds in New Zeala...
Epithelial hyperplasia and sloughing of the digestive gland in bivalve mollusks are a global phenomenon and occur in species of commercial interest and cultural significance to indigenous peoples. Where hemocytosis, hyperplasia, and necrosis of digestive tubule cells have been observed associated with electron-dense uncoated virus-like particles (V...
Disease drives the evolution of proactive and reactive mitigation behaviours in fishes as for terrestrial animals. Understanding fish self-remedy behaviours could discover algal bioactives, reveal novel strategies for disease management, identify new habitats or ecosystems critical to population health and conservation, and enhance knowledge of int...
Parasites are important, diverse, and abundant components of natural ecosystems and can influence the behaviour and health of their hosts, inter‐ and intraspecific interactions, and ultimately community structure. Coral reefs are one of the world's most biodiverse ecosystems, yet our understanding of the abundance, diversity, and composition of par...
Resolving the cause of disease (= aetiology) in aquatic organisms is a challenging but essential goal, heightened by increasing disease prevalence in a changing climate and an interconnected world of anthropogenic pathogen spread. Emerging diseases play important roles in evolutionary ecology, wildlife conservation, the seafood industry, recreation...
Cleaning symbiosis is critical for maintaining healthy biological communities in tropical marine ecosystems. However, potential negative impacts of mutualism, such as the transmission of pathogens and parasites during cleaning interactions, have rarely been evaluated. Here, we investigated whether the dedicated bluestreak cleaner wrasse Labroides d...
The ornamental fish trade provides a pathway for the global translocation of aquatic parasites. Myxozoa is comprised of highly specialized metazoan parasites of aquatic hosts with a wide host range. Interest in the group has intensified along with the development of aquaculture due to emergent pathogenic myxozoan species in both freshwater and mari...
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have wide-ranging environmental impacts, including on aquatic species of social and commercial importance. In New Zealand (NZ), strategic growth of the aquaculture industry could be adversely affected by the occurrence of HABs. This review examines HAB species which are known to bloom both globally and in NZ and their ef...
We evaluated the suitability of three diagnostic techniques to detect Tenacibaculum maritimum in farmed Chinook salmon (or ‘king’ salmon), Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, exhibiting clinical signs of tenacibaculosis with skin spots and ulcers. A selective bacterial culture technique using Marine Shieh's Selective Medium (MSSM) found 100% detection of T....
Fish disease surveillance methods can be complicated and time consuming, which limits their value for timely intervention strategies on aquaculture farms. Novel molecular-based assays using droplet digital Polymerase Chain Reaction (ddPCR) can produce immediate results and enable high sample throughput with the ability to multiplex several targets...
A decision support tool was developed to aid management of problematic parasites in marine fish aquaculture. The tool provides biologically relevant treatment intervals to interrupt the life cycle of ectoparasitic flatworms that occur in global kingfish and amberjack (Seriola spp.) aquaculture. Temperature‐dependent life cycle parameters for the ‘s...
The aquatic ornamental species (AOS) trade is a significant pathway for the introduction and establishment of non-indigenous species into aquatic environments. The likelihood of such occurrences is expected to increase worldwide as industry growth continues and warmer conditions emerge under future climate scenarios. This study used recent (2015 –...
This chapter details in vitro methods for the successful culture of Cryptocaryon irritans.
This chapter describes the in vitro methods for the successful culture of Neobenedenia girellae.
This chapter describes the in vitro methods for the successful culture of Zeuxapta seriolae.
This chapter discussed the in vitro methods for the successful culture of Zeylanicobdella arugamensis.
Widespread coral mortality is leading to coral reef degradation worldwide. Many juvenile reef fishes settle on live coral, and their predator-avoidance behaviour is disrupted in seawater exposed to dead corals, ultimately increasing predation risk. Gnathiid isopods are micropredatory fish ectoparasites that occur in higher abundances in dead coral....
For the last seven decades, cleaning sym-biosis in the marine environment has been a research field of intrigue. There is substantial evidence that, by removing undesired items from their client fishes, cleaner organisms have positive ecosystem effects. These include increased fish recruitment, abundance and enhanced fish growth. However, the intim...
Cleaner fish remove parasites from other organisms, called clients. While there is an extensive body of work on the positive role of cleaners for their clients and reef communities, remarkably, potential parasites hosted by specialised cleaner fishes themselves have not been explored. In this study, we surveyed the parasite community of the Indo-Pa...
Pest management is a critical component of aquaculture operations since high stocking densities can facilitate rapid pest infestation and high stock losses. The Acropora eating-flatworm, Prosthiostomum acroporae impact the health of captive Acropora colonies, which are commonly grown as part of coral aquaculture for trade, research and the hobbyist...
This study quantified the effects of temperature on reproduction and maternal provisioning of the ectoparasite, Neobenedenia girellae (Platyhelminthes: Monogenea), a species known to cause detrimental impacts to aquaculture fishes in tropical and subtropical environments worldwide. At 20 and 25 °C, parasites exhibited relatively slower production o...
The reliance of parasites on their hosts makes host-parasite interactions ideal models for exploring ecological and evolutionary processes. By providing a consistent supply of parasites, in vivo monocultures offer the opportunity to conduct experiments on a scale that is generally not otherwise possible. Gnathiid isopods are common ectoparasites of...
Globally coral reefs are in decline, largely driven by local anthropogenic pressures combined with broader cumulative impacts from climate change. Coral aquaculture will play an important role in active reef restoration and attempts to preserve some semblance of coral reefs in highly impacted areas. Achieving maximum growth and survivorship of cult...
The global ornamental fish trade enables translocation of exotic aquatic pathogens. In many countries, health certification and visual inspection of imported fish are key components of biosecurity to prevent the introduction of aquatic diseases. However, infected fish do not always exhibit clinical or behavioural signs of disease, and alternatives...
The total number of species of Lernanthropidae previously recorded from Australian waters is 15 (i.e., one species each of Aethon Krøyer, 1837, Lernanthropodes Bere, 1936, and Lernanthropsis Do, in Ho & Do, 1985; 10 species of Lernanthropus de Blainville, 1822; and two species of Sagum Wilson, 1913), and all of these records are reviewed. We report...
Aquatic parasites may respond to various attractants and cues to find and infect a host. Traps that use these attractants as ‘bait’ have potential to reduce the number of pathogenic agents in aquaculture environments. This study examined four potential attractants (i.e., urea, host mucus, parasite conspecifics and light) and the response of two pro...
As coral aquaculture is increasing around the world for reef restoration and trade, mitigating the impact of coral predators, pathogens and parasites is necessary for optimal growth. The Acropora coral-eating flatworm (AEFW), Prosthiostomum acroporae (Platyhelminthes: Polycladida: Prosthiostomidae) feeds on wild and cultivated Acropora species and...
We describe the first known blood fluke from a marine mammal, the dugong, Dugong dugon (Sirenia: Dugongidae), which represents a new species of aporocotylid, Cardicola dhangali n. sp. (Digenea: Aporocotylidae). Eggs presumed to be of blood flukes have been previously reported from dugongs. This exciting discovery raises questions regarding evolutio...
The complete larval and first crab stages of the decorator crab Camposcia retusa (Latreille, 1829) are described and illustrated based on laboratory-reared material for the first time. Specimens were obtained from larvae hatched from adult crabs collected from coral reefs of Queensland, Australia. Newly hatched larvae were successfully reared to se...
Effective border control relies on stringent biosecurity protocols to detect and prevent introductions of exotic pests and diseases. Detection of pathogens and parasites in the live ornamental fish trade using environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques has the potential to improve current biosecurity practices. We examined water samples from 11 target con...
The phylogenetic tree (Figure 7) in the published document has incorrect Bayesian analysis posterior probabilities. This error prevents accurate analysis by future research in parasitology. The figure is therefore replaced by the corrected figure below.
Coral aquaculture is expanding to supply the marine ornamental trade and active coral reef restoration. A common pest of Acropora corals is the Acropora-eating flatworm Prosthiostomum acroporae, which can cause colonial mortality at high infestation densities on Acropora spp. We investigated the potential of 2 biological control organisms in marine...
The bacterial microbiome is an important component of any aquaculture environment. The interaction between the bacterial microbiome and other microorganisms (e.g. parasites, viruses, or other bacteria) in aquaculture systems can prevent or contribute to disease outbreaks. This study characterised the bacterial composition associated with the abunda...
Benthic stages of cultured fishes’ ectoparasites are a major contributor to persistent reinfections in aquaculture. These stages are resistant to chemical therapies and are costly to manage in terms of time and labour. Cleaner shrimp, unlike cleaner fishes, prey on benthic stages, suggesting they have the potential to reduce parasite reinfection pr...
Chemical use is widespread in aquaculture to treat parasitic diseases in farmed fish. Cleaner fish biocontrols are increasingly used in fish farming as an alternative to medicines. However, cleaner fish are susceptible to some of their clients' parasites and their supply is largely dependent on wild harvest. In comparison, cleaner shrimp are not su...
Reef fishes sustain injuries from various behavioural and environmental interactions. Injured fishes have been observed frequenting cleaning stations to be attended by different cleaner fishes. This symbiotic relationship between injured fishes and cleaner fishes has only been observed in the wild, and has never been demonstrated empirically for cl...
Accurate identification of parasite species and strains is crucial to mitigate the risk of epidemics and emerging disease. Species of Neobenedenia are harmful monogenean ectoparasites that infect economically important bony fishes in aquaculture worldwide, however, the species boundaries between two of the most notorious taxa, N. melleni and N. gir...
Accurate identification of parasite species and strains is crucial to mitigate the risk of epidemics and emerging disease. Species of Neobenedenia are harmful monogenean ectoparasites that infect economically important bony fishes in aquaculture worldwide, however, the species boundaries between two of the most notorious taxa, N. melleni and N. gir...
The ornamental fish trade provides a pathway for the global translocation of aquatic parasites. We examined a total of 1020 fish imported from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, or Sri Lanka to Australia (including freshwater and marine fish species) for monogenean ectoparasites. Fish were received following veterinary certification that they showed no...
Global expansion in fish production and trade of aquatic ornamental species requires advances in aquatic animal health management. Aquatic parasite cultures permit diverse research opportunities to understand parasite–host dynamics and are essential to validate the efficacy of treatments that could reduce infections in captive populations. Monogene...
Goldfish, Carassius auratus Linnaeus, 1758, are immensely popular ornamental cyprinid fish, traded in more than 100 countries. For more than 500 years, human translocation has facilitated the spread of goldfish globally, which has enabled numerous and repeated introductions of parasite taxa that infect them. The parasite fauna assemblage of goldfis...
Intra-species morphological variation presents a considerable problem for species identification and can result in taxonomic confusion. This is particularly pertinent for species of Neobenedenia which are harmful agents in captive fish populations and have historically been identified almost entirely based on morphological characters. This study ai...
The toxicity of water–ethanol extracts of garlic ( Allium sativum ), ginger ( Zingiber officinale ), basil ( Ocimum basilicum ), bitter chaparro ( Castela tortuousa ), onion ( Allium cepa ) and papaya ( Carica papaya ) against adults, eggs and oncomiracidia of Neobenedenia spp. parasites was examined. Parasites were exposed to continuous immersion...
The ornamental fish trade is a known pathway for the global translocation of aquatic parasites. Australian import conditions require all ornamental fish to be inspected seven days prior to importation to be free of parasites and diseases, however only goldfish consignments are required to be treated with parasiticides for the presence of Dactylogyr...
Globally, disease accounts for around 40% of lost aquaculture production. Commonly, disease occurs due to an inability of farm managers to accurately quantify disease risk due to the abundance of the pathogenic agent in their production systems, along with a poor understanding of how outbreaks are linked to changes in water quality parameters. Envi...
Parasitic Chilodonella species, Chilodonella piscicola and Chilodonella hexasticha, cause considerable economic losses globally to freshwater farmed fish production. Some genetic studies of Chilodonella spp. have indicated that many species within the genus may form cryptic species complexes. To understand the diversity of Chilodonella spp. infecti...
Cleaning symbiosis has been documented extensively in the marine environment over the past 50 years. We estimate global cleaner diversity comprises 208 fish species from 106 genera representing 36 families and 51 shrimp species from 11 genera representing 6 families. Cleaning symbiosis as originally defined, is amended to highlight communication be...
We report the discovery of the male of the rare caligiform copepod Kabataia ostorhynchi Kazachenko, Korotaeva & Kurochkin, 1972 on the gills of the type-host Oplegnathus woodwardi (Waite, 1900) captured in the Southern Ocean, off Australia. Light and scanning electron microscopy confirmed the unusual body plan of Kabataia Kazachenko, Korotaeva & Ku...
UK, R.A. Bray (r.bray@nhm.ac.uk); USA, R.M. Overstreet (robin.overstreet@usm.edu); VIETNAM, Tran Thi Binh (tranthibinhs@yahoo.com). 2 CONTENTS
The infection dynamics and distribution of the ectoparasitic fish monogenean Neobenedenia sp. (Monogenea: Capsalidae) throughout its development was examined on barramundi, Lates calcarifer (Bloch) (Latidae), by labelling transparent, ciliated larvae (oncomiracidia) with a fluorescent dye. Replicate fish were each exposed to approximately 50 fluore...
Aquaculture of coral offers an alternative to wild harvest for the ornamental trade and shows considerable promise for restoring reefs and preserving biodiversity. Here, we compare advantages and disadvantages of asexually derived fragments versus sexually derived propagules and in situ versus ex situ nursery phases for the ornamental trade and ree...
This presentation showcases the Marine Parasitology Laboratory’s most exciting research discoveries on the ecology, behavior and biology of the ectoparasitic fish monogenean, Neobenedenia sp. Species in this genus are harmful pests in ornamental and food fish aquaculture glogally. A monoculture of Neobenedenia sp. Maintained in the laboratory over...
Infections with monogeneans of the Diplectanidae can limit productivity of and cause considerable health issues for fish in aquaculture. To date, 9 species of diplectanids have been reported from the Asian sea bass or barramundi Lates calcarifer (Perciformes: Latidae) in the Asia-Pacific region. This study characterised the diplectanid parasite fau...
Cleaner organisms exhibit a remarkable natural behaviour where they consume ectoparasites attached to "client" organisms. While this behaviour can be utilized as a natural method of parasitic disease control (or biocontrol), it is not known whether cleaner organisms can also limit reinfection from parasite eggs and larvae within the environment. He...
Effective parasite management can be achieved through strategically timed treatments that break the life cycle. We examined the effects of temperature (2 °C increments from 22 to 34 °C) and salinity (0, 11, 22, 35, 40 ‰) on the life cycle (embryonation period, hatching success, oncomiracidia (larvae) longevity, infection success, and time to sexual...
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[Extract] Capsalid monogeneans are harmful ectoparasites of ornamental and farmed fishes in tropical/subtropical marine environments (Thoney & Hargis 1991; Hirazawa et al. 2011; Whittington 2012). Neobenedenia spp. have low host specificity, a direct life cycle, high fecundity and robust eggs, which contribute to their ability to inflict mass morta...
Fish monogeneans are lethal parasites in aquaculture. We provide the first experimental evidence that a notorious fish monogenean, Neobenedenia sp., can produce viable eggs in isolation for three consecutive generations. We infected individual, isolated, farmed barramundi, Lates calcarifer (Bloch) with a single oncomiracidium (larva) of the hermaph...
Development of an effective preventative treatment for managing infections by Monogenea (Platyhelminthes) in aquaculture remains elusive. Present treatment methods offer only temporary respite and are either labor intensive, harmful to fish welfare or environmentally destructive. This study used garlic (Allium sativum) supplemented feed to assess i...
Garlic, Allium sativum L., extract administered as a therapeutic bath was shown to have antiparasitic properties towards Neobenedenia sp. (MacCallum) (Platyhelminthes: Monogenea) infecting farmed barramundi, Lates calcarifer (Bloch). The effect of garlic extract (active component allicin) immersion on Neobenedenia sp. egg development, hatching succ...
Aqueous extracts from common tropical seaweeds were evaluated for their effect on the life cycle of the commercially important ectoparasite, Neobenedenia sp. (Platyhelminthes: monogenea), through the survival of attached adult parasites, period of embryonic development, hatching success and oncomiracidia (larvae) infection success. There was no sig...
Expansion of finfish aquaculture will see increased incentive for translocation of stocks across geopolitical boundaries. The potential for genetic contamination of stocks arising from translocation and subsequent release or escape of translocated and/or genetically mixed stocks may be a significant risk to wild populations. Assessment of risk requ...
Accurate identification of fishes and their parasites is fundamental to the development, management and sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture worldwide. We examined three commercially and recreationally exploited Australian arripid species (Pisces: Arripidae), namely Australian herring (Arripis georgianus), eastern Australian salmon (A. trutt...