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At another institution, an adult male wild-caught Atlantic guitarfish was found dead on exhibit with no premonitory signs. Concurrent reproductive disease may have caused immunosuppression, thus predisposing to the mycobacterial infection. Bacterial culture of blood and coelomic effusion grew a rapidly growing Mycobacterium species that was further identified as Mycobacterium chelonae by PCR amplification and sequencing of the RNA polymerase subunit beta ( rpoB) gene of isolated genomic DNA. Histologic examination revealed systemic bacterial embolization, and yolk coelomitis with minimal associated inflammation and some mineralization. Abnormalities on autopsy were focal cutaneous erythema on the tail, a small liver, many variably sized friable ovarian follicles, and coelomic effusion. In this study of diverse aquarium‐housed fish species, phaeohyphomycosis cases occurred sporadically and in rare outbreaks with variable pathologic presentations, tissue distributions and severities.Īn adult female captive-born Atlantic guitarfish ( Rhinobatos lentiginosus) was found acutely moribund on exhibit and died soon after presentation. Microscopically, lesions were characterized by necrosis, granulomatous inflammation and angioinvasion most frequently affecting the skin/fin, skeletal muscle and kidneys. Exophiala lecanii‐corni and Neodevriesia cladophorae were described for the first time from fish. were identified, with Exophiala as the most common fungal genus (8/11, 72.7%). Exophiala, Ochroconis and Neodevriesia spp.
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Culture and sequencing of the internal‐transcribed spacer region of the rDNA (ITS), large ribosomal subunit gene D1/D2 domains (LSU) and the DNA polymerase II gene (RPB2) were performed for fungal identification when fresh tissue was obtainable. Northern seahorses (Hippocampus erectus) had the highest incidence overall (7/47, 14.9%). Cartilaginous fish cases included two zebra sharks (Stegostoma fasciatum) (2/47, 4.3%). The majority involved bony fish (45/47, 95.7%) and were predominantly marine (41/47, 87.2%), with only a few freshwater species (4/47, 8.5%). A review of 2,250 piscine submissions received by the Aquatic Pathology Service, University of Georgia, revealed 47 phaeohyphomycosis cases (2.1%), representing 34 bony and cartilaginous fish species. Although weedy and leafy seadragons share certain diseases of significance to exhibit populations, there are diseases unique to each species about which the veterinary pathologist, clinician, or diagnostician should be aware.Ī broadening fish host range is affected by novel and known pigmented fungal pathogens. Mineralization of the swim bladder was detected in 26 of 197 leafy seadragons and only 2 of 257 weedy seadragons.
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Intestinal coccidiosis was found in weedy but not leafy seadragons. Phaeohyphomycosis, nonmycobacterial bacterial infections, and trauma were also important but less frequent diagnoses. Myxozoanosis was usually found in combination with other diseases and, except for 1 case, was restricted to weedy seadragons. There were no correlations between mycobacteriosis and ciliate protozoan infections in either species. Metazoan parasite infections were less common etiologic diagnoses. Two of the more common etiologic diagnoses in both species were mycobacteriosis and scuticociliatosis, whereas myxozoanosis was common in weedy seadragons. One hundred two and 94 total diagnoses were recorded in weedy and leafy seadragons, respectively. A retrospective study of the pathologic findings in weedy (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) and leafy (Phycodurus eques) seadragons was performed on specimens submitted to 2 reference laboratories from 1994 to 2012 to determine the range and occurrence of diseases affecting aquarium-held populations.