Salmon louse

The salmon louse, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, is a species of copepod in the genus Lepeophtheirus. It is a sea louse, a parasite living mostly on salmon, particularly on Pacific salmon, but is also sometimes found on the three-spined stickleback. It lives off the mucus, skin and blood of the fish. They are natural marine parasites of fish, such as adult salmon. They are similar to plankton and ride on the waves.When they encounter a marine fish they adhere themselves to the skin, fins, the gills of the fish, and feeding off the mucous or skin. Sea lice only affects fish and is not harmful towards humans.

Salmon lice are a natural ectoparasite of salmon, in the 1980s high levels of salmon lice were observed on Pink salmon smolts. Salmon lice are found in Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, they infect Pink salmon, Atlantic salmon, and Chum salmon.

Life cycle

There has been some research on the problems caused by this species in aquaculture, but little is known about the salmon louse's life in nature. It has been shown, however, that salmon louse infections in fish farming facilities can cause epizootics in wild fish.