Two spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber) from a public aquarium in North
Carolina were presented to the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine for
dark coloration and cloudy eyes. On physical examination, most body surfaces were covered with a
thin layer of mucus and the corneas were opaque. Skin and gill biopsies taken for light histology
and electron microscopy showed Cryptocaryon sp. and an Ichthyohodo-like organism.
This is the first reported case of an Ichthyabodo-like organism in a sub-tropical marine
fish. The fish were treated with formalin, trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole, and metronidazole.
Subsequent biopsies were negative, and the fish were returned to the aquarium.