Wanted: 15 million Ballan wrasse. If Ballan wrasse is to become the weapon of choice in fighting sea lice, millions of new individuals will need to be produced each year.

Ballan wrasse are picky eaters when young. As adults, they eat sea lice off the skin of salmon – which makes them valuable to fish farmers. But as juveniles, wrasse want to be served shrimp.

Ballan wrasse are picky eaters when young. As adults, they eat sea lice off the skin of salmon – which makes them valuable to fish farmers. But as juveniles, wrasse want to be served shrimp.

Ballan wrasse aren’t the tastiest fish, though they are often used in the French “bouillabaisse” soup. However the species does have a number of striking features – and not just its looks ...

Ballan wrasse pick sea lice off salmon without harming the fish Fish farmers have a new approach to tackling a parasite. Sea lice affect farmed and wild salmon. So can "cleaner fish" be used to ...

Farmed ballan wrasse have been introduced to a Scottish salmon farm for the first time. They were transferred to a farm run by The Scottish Salmon Company (SCC) in the Western Isles. It is hoped ...

In a collaboration between Marine Harvest, Scottish Sea Farms and the Institute of Aquaculture at the University of Stirling, wild caught ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta) have been bred for more ...

COLOURFUL ballan wrasse enjoy a long life of 15-20 years. But their old age may owe more to a thumbs down in the kitchen. Bony wrasse flesh is often flavoured by what they eat and some regard ...

Hatchery manager for Marine Harvest, Paul Featherstone, said: "Ballan wrasse provides highly effective, highly natural sea lice control and as such is in huge demand.

Salmon farms in the north-west of Scotland are hailing a move to “natural” methods to battle one of the biggest problems facing the industry.