Systemic Exophiala sp. Mycoses in Marine Fish
Vicki S. Blazer; Richard E. Wolke
The natural occurrence of a systemic Exophiala sp. mycoses in five genera of captive marine fish and its experimental production in three additional genera is reported. The disease was experimentally produced in Tautogolabrus adspersus, Pseudopleuronectes americanus and Fundulus heteroclitus by intraperitoneal injection of spore suspensions and the fungus re-isolated on Lowenstein-Jensen media. Histopathologically both acute, necrotic and focal, granulomatous reactions were present in naturally infected animals. The lesions were reproduced experimentally following spore inoculations while a diffuse, proliferative, granulomatous reaction, possibly foreign body in nature (non-infectious), followed inoculation of hyphae alone. Reports of systemic mycoses in fish and other animals due to pigmented fungi are discussed and lesions compared.