Early muscle injuries in a standard reared stock of sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax, (L.)

Abstract

An early myopathy affecting the myotomes of a stock of sea bass is described. By electron microscopical examination different degrees of muscle lesions were first detected in recently hatched larvae. Muscle fibres underwent a degenerative process, that according to the gravity of the lesions and age of the fish was sequenced in four stages. Necrotic muscle fibres were abundant in the myotomes of post-larvae (more than 60 days). Although this degenerative myopathy is non-specific, the importance lies in its progressive sequence. Vitamin E-selenium deficiency and uncontrolled peroxidation of the lipid content in the feed is thought to be the cause of the problem. The possible implication of the myopathy in the appearance of a high percentage of lordosis in the same stock of sea bass is discussed.