Sea Lice: Marine Parasites and Their Impact on Salmon Aquaculture

UPSC Relevance: Aquaculture | Marine Biology

What are Sea Lice?

Sea lice are small marine ectoparasitic crustaceans.

Classification

  • Phylum → Arthropoda.

  • Subphylum → Crustacea.

  • Common aquaculture species belong to copepod groups.

Hosts

They commonly infect marine fish, particularly:

  • Salmon.

  • Trout.

Impact

They:

  • Attach to fish skin.

  • Feed on mucus, skin and tissue.

  • Cause lesions.

  • Increase infection susceptibility.

  • Can cause economic losses in aquaculture.

Prelims Trap: Sea lice are crustaceans, not insects.