Amyloodinium ocellatum (Brown, 1931) (Dinoflagellida) infestations in cultured marine fish at Eilat, Red Sea: epizootiology and pathology |
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| Authors: | I PAPERNA |
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| Institution: | H. Steinitz Marine Biology Laboratory of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Eilat, Israel |
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| Abstract: | Abstract. Since 1977, repeated outbreaks of infestation by Amyloodinium ocellatum (Dinoflagellida) in cultured gilthead bream Sparus aurata L. and seabass Dicen-trarchus labrax (L.) resulted in sporadic and mass mortalities. Fingerlings and yearlings as well as breeders were affected and, since 1978, larval and post-larval S. aurata in the hatchery. Infestations in juvenile and breeder fish were located predominantly on the gills and mucosal integument but in larval fish only the skin rather than the gills was infested. Histopathological changes of the infested gills are described. Vacuolar degeneration of the cells penetrated by the parasites' rhizoids was evident at the site of attachment and cloudy swelling was apparent in the surrounding epithelial cells. In heavy infestations the entire epithelium of the gill filaments underwent hyperplasia with consequent fusion of the lamellae. Where hyperplasia was extensive the cells gradually degenerated while the inner epithelial layer showed distinct spongiosis and in some cases completely disintegrated. All heavily infested gills lacked mucous cells. |
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