Cleaner fish | BioMar

What are cleaner fish?

Cleaner fish are certain species of fish that, amongst other things, feed on the sea lice that live on farmed fish. In common with salmon lice, the cleaner fish also live freely in nature. Lice-eating species are now caught and farmed on a large scale to control salmon lice in a chemical-free, biological manner.

Salmon lice

The salmon louse is a parasite that lives freely in seawater in all areas of the sea in the northern hemisphere. It attaches itself to the fish as a copepodite and remains stuck there until it can move and change position on the fish.

The salmon louse sustains itself by feeding on skin cells and mucus. The salmon louse represents the greatest challenge for the aquaculture industry today, although they do not affect food safety or the quality of the salmon.

Why cleaner fish?

The salmon louse is the most common parasite on farmed salmon, and one of the biggest challenges for the aquaculture industry. Cleaner fish, which from nature's perspective are designed to feed on such parasites, are used in the cages to feed on lice from farmed fish.

Under the right conditions, this represents an effective form of biological delousing that can prevent chemicals entering the environment and saves a lot of money for the farmer.

Species

Biological delousing with cleaner fish is a forward-looking method and represents a continuous, preventive treatment for salmon louse. After a slow start with the use of wild-caught wrasse, we see today that the farming of lumpfish is the most popular measure to combat salmon lice.

There have also been positive developments in the farming of ballan wrasse, although on a different scale than lumpfish.

Photo: Woll naturfoto

Nutrition

Until a few years ago, it was not common that cleaner fish in cages were fed maintenance feeds. This practice has now changed however as research has identified that insufficient access to the correct nutrients makes for less healthy and less functional cleaner fish.

Photo: Woll naturfoto

SYMBIO BIOMAR’S FOCUS ON CLEANER FISH

The Symbio product group covers the feeding needs of all relevant cleaner fish species, both in onshore production and as lice-eaters in the sea. Symbio is based on solid experience of feed development for a range of marine species and BioMar North Sea’s own focus on cleaner fish.

Lumpfish

As part of BioMar’s focus on feed for cleaner fish, BioMar and Nofima have implemented a major trial project to examine how nutritional knowledge of marine fish and wrasse can be applied to lumpfish.

The aim was to harvest knowledge of the lumpfish’s nutritional needs in order to develop improved starter feed, grower feed and health feed tailored to this specific species. This knowledge forms the basis for specific lumpfish products.

The fact that the lumpfish is an omnivore doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t pay careful attention to the fish’s diet in the fish farm. BioMar is an expert on the smart ingredient choices that, together with a balanced level of nutrients, ensure good health for these lice-eaters.

Our products

Photo: Havforskningsinstituttet

Wrasse

The cleaner fish is a highly valued partner of fish farmers that gently and continually de-louses salmon. However, it requires careful management, where the correct feed and feeding of the cleaner fish is critical. BioMar’s Symbio concept prioritises fundamentally strong, species-specific nutrition. Valuable fish deserve the best!

Our products

Photo: Woll naturfoto

Products

The Symbio product group covers the feed requirements for all the current species of cleaner fish, both in production on land and as louse feeders in the sea. Symbio is founded on solid experience from feed development for a range of marine species combined with BioMar North Sea's own commitment to cleaner fish.

Larviva

The very important larva feeds, ProStart and ProWean, represent a new product on the Norwegian market. These are the result of experience acquired from larva cultures in the Mediterranean, combined with BioMar's solid experience of the nutritional needs of cold-water species.

ProStart

ProStart us an agglomerate that allows the feeding of lumpfish larvae to start immediately they have hatched. With a high protein content, it supports the rapid growth of the larvae which requires a lot of protein. ProStart has very good physical quality that provides a good spread of particles over the surface of the water, and beneficially low sinking speed in the water column.

With the transition to ProWean. BioMar provides a dust-free granulate. ProWean is a very tasty and water-stable feed that is easily dispensed in automatic feeders.

For its starter feed, BioMar takes the approach that only the best raw materials are good enough for the smallest creatures. This has been providing results - ProStart and ProWean are now documented as very potent starter feeds for lumpfish larvae.

Products for lumpfish

Lumpfish Grower

Lumpfish Grower is a product specifically designed for lumpfish. The research into the feed was based on the first ever major nutritional study of lumpfish, which documented amongst other things the effects of different raw materials and energy levels.

Lumpfish Grower supports a production process in which rapid growth is prioritised especially in the period leading up to vaccination, followed by normal growth in the period up to delivery. Lumpfish fed with Lumpfish Grower show very good feed utilisation. Very good feed utilisation in combination with normal depositing of excess energy in the liver provide a favourable composition for growth of the lumpfish.

Figure X. Shows daily growth (SGR %) in lumpfish that grew from 1 to 20 grammes with a sea temperature of 10 degrees, and the liver index (HSI %) for 20 grammes of fish. The liver index is within the limits of what can be expected for wild-caught lumpfish of the same size

Symbio Maintenance

Symbio Maintenance is a very tasty product that is suited to all species and sizes of cleaner fish. The feed has been specially developed as a maintenance feed for caged wrasse. The product takes into account the fastidiousness of the wrasse with a high mix of attractants. This makes Symbio Maintenance a very tasty product.

Feeding with Symbio Maintenance provides cleaner fish with a valuable energy supplement.
With a good balance of nutrients, the feed will strengthen the fish and contribute to the maintenance of a good nutritional status.
This is due to the feed being supplemented with extra vitamins and minerals amongst other things.
A cleaner fish with good nutritional status will be better able to perform its louse-eating tasks!

Symbio Maintenance is based on a range of trial with primarily farmed ballan wrasse. The figure shows the growth rate (SGR %) with standard deviations from trials with

ballan wrasse that grew from 4 to 9 grammes where two different attractants were tested.

Product overview

Symbio products

With the Symbio group of products, BioMar is offering a complete range of products for all species of cleaner fish at most phases of production.

The Symbio concept at BioMar has been founded on two main pillars - nutritional requirements and palatability. The latter means amongst other things the inclusion of attractant krill meal in relation to different species' taste requirements.