Transmission and maintenance of Sparicotyle chrysophrii infection in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) using a recirculating aquatic system

The purpose of the current work is to establish an experimental model of Sparicotyle infection in GSB held in captivity, using the effluent of water from tanks holding naturally infected individuals, within a closed water-recirculating system (RAS). Additional objectives of the study are also to get insights on the infection dynamics and how the infection impact on growth performance and haematology. The final aim is to continuously maintain in vivo the infection for research purposes, such as the possible development of vaccine and oral or bath treatments. Hence, closing the life cycle of this parasite in captivity can provide an invaluable resource for many biological fields, such as phylogenetics, genomics, transcriptomics, chemotherapeutics, etc. These research lines are currently constrained by the dependence on natural (heterogeneous and unpredictable) infections by this parasite. The maintenance of the infection inside a RAS allows having the ability to screen, monitor and control different water parameters such as temperature, flow, oxygen and other important aspects related with the infection. The RAS also allows keeping the infection isolated from the rest of the tanks of the facility avoiding a possible unwanted infection.Peer reviewe