Latest news

345 scientific, veterinary and regulatory news items.

Giant Pacific octopus: assess decline before calling it senescence

Public aquariums Animal welfare Practical guide 01 November 2026

Loss of appetite or responsiveness in a giant Pacific octopus may accompany senescence, disease or unsuitable conditions. A public aquarium study structures observations of each animal’s trajectory and inform care decisions.

Sediment pathogens: assess persistence carefully

Environment Biosecurity Practical guide 01 November 2026

Water with no visible sign of disease provides little evidence about the sediment below. An Aeromonas hydrophila experiment demonstrates persistence in laboratory-prepared sediments, without by itself establishing transmission risk in a natural water body.

Tilapia streptococcosis: confirm the bacterial cause

Aquaculture Diseases Disease profile 01 November 2026

Signs consistent with streptococcosis do not identify the bacterium responsible. An Indonesian tilapia cage investigation shows why culture, characterisation and molecular findings need to be interpreted together.

Zebrafish: what repeated anaesthesia changes

Research facilities Anaesthesia and analgesia Practical guide 01 November 2026

Following the same fish over time may reduce animal numbers while adding repeated anaesthetic exposures. Zebrafish experiments show why immediate recovery, later swimming behaviour and developmental stage require separate assessment.

Aquatic containment: follow water to the final discharge

Research facilities Biosecurity Practical guide 31 October 2026

Fish pathogen research requires containment of tanks, drains, sludge and cleaning water. Canadian aquatic standards and US biosafety guidance offer useful risk assessment principles, but their level names and legal scopes cannot be transferred automatically to another country.

Fish ultrasound: what lies behind a fluid-filled lesion?

Public aquariums Diagnostics Practical guide 31 October 2026

A fluid-filled appearance cannot establish the cause of a lesion or exclude a tumour. A common carp case from a public aquarium illustrates how follow-up imaging, complementary modalities and careful sampling can change the diagnostic interpretation.

Pumpkinseed warming risk: follow the young fish

Environment Ecology and environment Species profile 31 October 2026

Warmer water may produce larger young pumpkinseed before winter without increasing their number. A British pond experiment and French invasive-species resources show why reproduction, recruitment and local ecological impact need separate measurements.

Salmonid ichthyobodosis: recognise it without overidentifying

Aquaculture Diseases Disease profile 31 October 2026

Excess mucus and increased ventilation cannot diagnose ichthyobodosis on their own. Fresh skin and gill preparations may reveal Ichthyobodo, but identifying the species requires stronger evidence, as research separating I. necator from I. salmonis demonstrates.

Abalone broodstock: comparing oils beyond weight gain

Aquaculture Nutrition Practical guide 30 October 2026

Weight gain alone cannot establish whether a feed suits abalone broodstock. A 2025 trial compared five lipid sources in female Haliotis discus hannai. The findings distinguish growth, egg production and larval outcomes separately, rather than naming one oil as universally superior.

Common cuttlefish: prey timing changes feeding choices

Public aquariums Nutrition Practical guide 30 October 2026

A cuttlefish may leave one prey item when a preferred alternative becomes predictable. A 2020 study involving French and British researchers found flexible feeding choices in Sepia officinalis. For aquarium teams, the findings make the feeding record relevant to a missed meal while leaving health assessment essential.

Planarians: light wavelength changes the observed response

Research facilities Research and innovation Practical guide 30 October 2026

In Schmidtea mediterranea, initial escape and final position can give different answers. A 2014 study compared responses to several light wavelengths. The findings show why teams need to document both illumination and observation time in behavioural experiments.

Salmonid habitats: tracking thermal contrasts around dams

Environment Ecology and environment Practical guide 30 October 2026

A stream can develop lower daytime peaks without a lower daily mean. A 2017 Oregon study separated this buffering from local cool patches associated with groundwater exchange. Assessing salmonid habitat requires observations at both reach and channel scales.