Abstract
We investigated a nematode infection in the epithelial tissue of rockfish Sebastes schlegeli cultured in Cheonsu Bay, western Korea, from May 2013 to April 2014. Nematodes infected the epithelial tissues of various external organs, including the fins, operculum, nares, mouth, and head. Over a 1-year period, the overall nematode infection rate in rockfish was 55% (n=89/163): 56.7% (n=17/30) in May 2013, 88% (n=29/33) in August 2013, 0% (n=0/30) in October 2013, 70% (n=21/30) in January 2014, and 55% (n=22/40) in April 2014. During this study, the only mass mortality of cultured rockfish in Cheonsu Bay was in August 2013, when we identified skin wounds on the rockfish caused by the nematodes escaping from their hosts. During this period, the accumulated mortality for 2 weeks was 1.4-22.4% in different farms. In addition, several pathogenic bacteria (Photobacterium damselae, Vibrio spp., and Streptococcus iniae) were isolated from the moribund rockfish; these were thought to be transmitted through the skin wounds caused by the nematodes.
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