PARASITIC

DISEASES OF THE
FISH
Protozoan parasites

Regnum:
Subregnum:
Phylum:

Animalia
Protozoa
Mastigophora (flagellates)

Oodinium ,Cryptobia ,Trypanosoma ,

Trypanoplasma
,Ichthyobodo,Hexamita

Phylum:

Coccidia

Phylum:

Microspora (microsporidia)
Pleistophora ,Glugea

Apicomplexa (apicomplexans)

Phylum:

Myxozoa (myxosporidia)
Myxobolus ,Henneguya

Ciliophora (ciliates)

Phylum:

Chilodonella
,Ichthyophthirius,Trichodina

Oodiniosis piscium
Oodiniosis of Fish (velvet, gold
dust, pillularis disease)

Oodinium (Piscinoodinium) pillulare

not specific ectoparasite of skin, fins,
gils, pyriform shape

Life cycle: trophont - tomont divides to 64 256 motile, infective

dinospores /20C-10days/

Symptoms:discomfort,emaciation,suf
ocation,
golden or velvet coating on the
skin,smal yellowish granules on the
body surface,frayed and
folding fins

Trypanosomoses et
Trypanoplasmoses piscium
Trypanosomoses and
Trypanoplasmoses of Fish
(sleeping sikness, blood
parasites )

order: Kinetoplastida
genus:Trypanosoma ,
Trypanoplasma
vector fish leech (Piscicola
geometra , Hemiclepsis marginata )

Life cycle o Trypanoplasma

sp. in carp and vector leech
(Piscicola geometra)

Trypanosoma carassii

Trypanoplasma
borelli

Symptoms: pale skin and gils ,

anemia,
splenomegalia , slow breathing
, little
movement , anorexia ,

Trypanoplasma (Cryptobia)
salmositica

Ichthyobodosis piscium
Ichthyobodosis of Fish

Ichthyobodo necator (Costia

necatrix)
not specific ectoparasite of skin , fins
and gills
reproduction simple
longitudinal
a, ventral
view
division
b, side view
c, cyst
d, skin attacked by Ichthyobodo
necator

Symptoms: disturbance , pale bluish or whitish coating on the

skin , pale reddish spots , frayed fins , rolling movements ,
sufocation

Hexamitosis piscium
Hexamitosis of Fish

Hexamita (Octomitus) salmonis

endoparasite of salmonids and
aquarium fish
attack stomach, intestine, gall
bladder
reproduction simple cell division
Symptoms:stop
feeding ,dark colour
,emaciation ,ascites ,
inflammation of
intestine (enteritis)
,pale stringy faeces,

Microsporeoses piscium
Microsporeoses of Fish

phyllum:Microspora
order:Microsporidia
structure
intracellular, cell and host specific spore
of microsporidia
parasites
direct life cycle
genus:Glugea ,Pleistophora
,Thelohania ,Loma ,Spraguea ,
Tetramicra ,Heterosporis

stages of germination in microsporidia

Pleistophora hyphessobryconis
pleistophorosis neon tetra
disease

Symptoms: focal color loss

,white spots under skin
,emaciation ,clinical signs for 2
4 weeks

Myxosporeoses piscium
Myxosporeoses of Fish

phyllum:Myxozoa
phyllum:
class:Myxosporea (46 genus ,1200 species)
infect invertebrates and poikilothermic vertebrates
(mostly fish)
parasites of tissues and organ cavities (gall ,swim or
urinary bladder), infecting only one species or closely
related group (host specific)
genus:Myxidium, Myxobolus (Myxosoma)
,Chloromyxum , Zschokkella,
Sphaerospora,Hoferellus,Thelohanellus, Henneguya,
Ceratomyxa ,Kudoa
symptoms: white or yellowish,variously sized nodules
(pseudocyst),clinical symptoms depend on the organ
system afected

spores of important myxozoan parasites

generalized life cycle of myxozoan pa

Myxobolus cerebralis (Myxosoma

,Lentospora) myxobolosis
salmonidarum myxobolosis of
-serious pathogen of salmonid fry, not older
salmonids
whirling
than
6 months, worldwide,
attack and disease black
damage cartilage
tail

symptoms: black tail,

skeletal deformities,
whirling, cachexia,
heavy losses

Triactinomyxon stage inside the worm

Loma salmonae
epitelial hyperplasia of
gill filaments

pseudocy
st

Myxobolus sp. cyst in the skin an

Henneguya zschokkei (salminicola)

cyst with milky fluid
(O.gorbuscha)

Chilodonellosis piscium
Chilodonellosis of Fish

Chilodonella piscicola (cyprini)

,Chilodonella hexasticha
ectoparasite of skin, fins, gills, all
freshwater fish, mainly fingerlings, wide
temperature tolerance
a-b: Chilodonella piscicola
c -upper-Ch.piscicola
-lover-Ch.hexasticha
d Ch.hexasticha

symptoms:hypersecr
etion of
mucus,whitish or
bluish sheen on
body,gill necrosis,
sufocation - asphyxia

Ichthyophthiriosis piscium
Ichthyophthiriosis of Fish
(white spot disease , Ich)

Ichthyophthirius multifiliis
most common, ectoparasite of all
freshvater fish, attack skin, fins, gills,
serious disease, mortality-optimal
up totemperature
100% 15 25

-complete life cycle 3-6 days a

10 days at

symptons: white or greyish nodules up to

on the skin and fins,gill and fins destructio
sufocation

Trichodinoses piscium
Trichodinoses of Fish

genus:Trichodina ,Trichodinella
,Tripartiella
most common, world-wide ectoparasites
of freshwater and marine fishes

symptoms:greyish-blue coat ,frayed

fins,erosion of the epithelium ,sufocation