Icon Aquatic Animal Health

Crustacean Health

Crustaceans (including crabs, lobsters, crayfish and shrimps) are keystone components of most aquatic habitats and are widely exploited in the global fishery, and in aquaculture. Certain groups, such as the penaeid shrimps, are the focus of intensive farming across the globe and contribute significantly to aquatic protein consumption by consumers of fish and fish products. Increasing production and the movement of live and commodity products have led to the emergence of several internationally important crustacean diseases. For these reasons, disease is considered one of the biggest challenge facing the expansion of the crustacean aquaculture industry in coming years. Cefas has been an international reference laboratory in crustaceans diseases for over a decade and has wide experience in the diagnosis of known and emerging pathogens in a wide range of wild and cultured hosts. Our work utilises deep technical expertise in histopathology, transmission electron microscopy, pathogen systematics and, molecular diagnostics for the detection, classification and reporting of crustacean pathogens.

 

Crustacean Health Team

Kelly Bateman - Lead

Diana Minardi

Grant Stentiford