Short operculum – Gross Pathology

Gills and Pseudobranchs
by Carlos Sandoval
Figure 1. Severe opercular erosion in farmed rainbow trout.

Bone deformities occur regularly in fish farms around the world. The operculum is one of the earliest craniofacial bones to form embryologically and is subject to a range of developmental and acquired abnormalities. Opercular shortening is one of the most prevalent diseases in larval and juvenile salmonids (and other species), sometimes affecting up to 80% of fish in a population. In those species that rely on the operculum to help move water over the gills, loss of efficiency in this part of the pumping mechanism...

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Flavobacterium psychrophilum in salmonids – Gross Pathology

Multisystem
by Hugh Ferguson
Figure 2. F. psychrophilum infection in rainbow trout. Note the classical “peduncle disease” with necrosis and darkening of tissues distal to the anal fin.

Flavobacterium psychrophilum is a ubiquitous Gram-negative filamentous and yellow-pigmented bacterium, and as the name suggests, it thrives in cooler water temperatures, causing disease in freshwater fish at 4-12°C. It likes connective tissues, especially those in younger fish in which it causes diseases such as bacterial cold-water disease (BCWD or peduncle disease) and rainbow trout fry syndrome (RTFS). As fish get older and the proportions/chemistry/locations of connective tissue change, the types of lesions also change. F. psychrophilum is responsible for significant economic losses in salmonid aquaculture...

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Blue sac disease (BSD) – Gross Pathology

Yolk-sac
by Carlos Sandoval
Blue sac disease in Atlantic salmon yolk-sac fry. Note a gill haemorrhage.

Blue-sac disease (BSD) or dropsy (hydrocoele embryonalis) is an abnormal condition that affects the egg and sac fry stages, typically of trout and salmon, but also of other freshwater fishes whose young emerge with a relatively large yolk sac.  It is characterized by abnormal accumulation of fluid with bluish tint between the yolk-sac and the outer membranes of the fry. It may also involve the pericardium and lymphatic spaces. BSD can be observed shortly after hatching and become more apparent within a few days. Blue-sac...

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Nephrocalcinosis in Fish – Gross pathology

Kidney
by Carlos Sandoval
Figure 1. Gross appearance of nephrocalcinosis. The kidney is swollen and grey with an irregular surface and white mineral deposits in the ureters.

Nephrocalcinosis (or urolithiasis) in fish is a chronic inflammatory condition of unknown aetiology in which calcium and other minerals precipitate as hydroxyapatite within the distal renal tubules and collecting ducts. The disease usually records low mortality and although food conversion efficiency is probably impaired, the major concern about the condition centres round a reduction in carcase quality at slaughter. In severe cases, the muscle dorsal to the kidney may also be affected. There are some predisposing factors for this condition like high levels of carbon...

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Cardiomyopathy syndrome in Atlantic salmon (CMS) – Histopathology

Cardiovascular System
by Hugh Ferguson
CMS in ventricle of Atlantic salmon showing severe myocarditis of spongy layer. Note that the compact layer (on the left) is largely unaffected.

Cardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS) is a severe cardiac disease affecting Atlantic salmon characterized by prolonged periods of usually low-level mortalities. The disease was first recognized in farmed Atlantic salmon in Norway in 1985 and subsequently in farmed salmon in the Faroe Islands, Scotland and Ireland. CMS is a transmissible disease that has been causally linked to the Piscine Myocarditis Virus (PMCV), closely allied to the Totiviridae. CMS usually causes mortality in adult or maturing fish after 12 to 18 months in seawater, resulting in substantial economic...

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