Characterization of vasskveite (water halibut) syndrome for automated detection

In recent years, cases of vasskveite (water halibut) syndrome in halibut have been increasing. At the moment, there exists no way to screen for the syndrome immediately after capture, which is problematic for both exporters and purchasers. In this article, we compared good quality halibut and halibut exhibiting the syndrome using a variety of techniques. Hyperspectral imaging was used to quantify the relative amounts of fat and water in the tissue. Diffusion tensor imaging was used to characterize tissue structure. Histology was performed to provide direct visual characterization of the tissue. Results indicate the muscle fibers in afflicted fish exhibit disordered growth and the tissue is lacking in fat. These results are in line with the current theory that the syndrome stems from a nutritional deficiency in the halibut diet. Hyperspectral imaging appears to be a promising technology to rapidly identify afflicted halibut immediately after capture.