The Role of Mycobacteriosis in Elevated Natural Mortality of Chesapeake Bay Striped Bass: Developing Better Models for Stock Assessment and Management : a final report
Vogelbein, Wolfgang K. Hoenig, John Gauthier, David Smith, Matthew Sadler, Phil Kator, Howard Rhodes, Martha
Vogelbein, Wolfgang K.
Hoenig, John
Gauthier, David
Smith, Matthew
Sadler, Phil
Kator, Howard
Rhodes, Martha
Abstract
Mycobacteriosis is a chronic systemic disease of fishes caused by bacteria belonging to the genus Mycobacterium. The disease currently affects striped bass throughout Chesapeake Bay and prevalence is higher than 90% in certain age groups. Two recently described species, M. shottsii and M. pseudoshottsii, are the most common isolates obtained from diseased fish and are considered the primary etiologic agents. Recent indications that natural mortality (M) has become elevated in Chesapeake Bay striped bass and that mycobacteriosis may be the underlying cause, has caused concern among fishermen, fisheries managers and scientists. However, fundamental questions, such as transmission mode, duration of disease states, impacts of disease on fish movements, feeding and reproduction remain unanswered. A central unanswered question is whether the disease causes mortality. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop new approaches for estimating the contribution of mycobacteriosis to natural mortality in the striped bass (e.g., disease-associated mortality component of M).
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Date
2012-08-20
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Keywords
Research and Technical Reports, Mycobacteriosis