AQX201 Fish Health Biology

The course provides a comprehensive introduction to fish physiology and fish anatomy. A solid understanding of fish physiology is fundamental to interpreting how fish physiological status interacts with the development, progression, and expression of diseases in aquaculture species. Core physiological processes, such as oxygen uptake and transport, osmoregulatory mechanisms, cardiac performance, and immune function, are examined with emphasis on their relevance to health, welfare, and disease susceptibility in farmed fish.

The anatomy component offers an in‑depth overview of the external and internal anatomical organization of fish, including structural features and fundamental biological functions. Particular attention is given to the microscopic architecture of major organs, as knowledge at the light‑microscopic level is essential for recognizing pathological alterations associated with infectious and non‑infectious disease conditions. Understanding these structural changes provides critical insight into clinical signs, functional impairment, and overall health outcomes. The course places special focus on organs commonly affected in disease processes in salmonids.

Knowledge

• Have fundamental knowledge of the physiological adaptations that enable fish to live in an aquatic environment, and understand how these functions are affected by disease and stressors.
• Have basic knowledge of the fish’s organs, their location and function, as well as familiarity with their cellular structure at the light‑microscopic level.

Skills

• Be able to update their knowledge of fish health biology by locating and referring to relevant popular‑science literature.
• Be able to present and exchange views on current challenges within the field.
• Identify and describe normal anatomical structures in fish.
• Describe and recognize normal structures in key fish organs based on light‑microscopic observations.

General competence

• Have insight into relevant scientific issues related to the physiology of farmed fish.
• Be able to apply knowledge of fish physiology and anatomy to understand and discuss health‑related challenges in aquaculture.