Journal of Fish Diseases 1978, 1, 175-179

Algal infections of fish tissue:

a recent record and review
CLAYTON J. EDWARDS, Ohio Cooperative Fisheries Research Unit, Columbus,
Ohio, U.S.A. ; :
Abstract. Algal infections on five carp are described and related to the known
literature concerning algal-fish associations.
The association of algae with piscine tissue can be either epizoophytic or parasitic.
One could infer from the paucity of literature pertaining to the suhject, however, that
such infections are rare. The following paper is an attempt to hring this peculiar
biological association into focus.
On 16 July 1975, during a routine fishery survey of the Olentangy River in Central
Ohio, a male carp Cyprinus carpioL. with an extensive growth of a filamentous alga
on the hone of its left operculum, was captured. The alga was identified hy C.E.Taft
of the Ohio State University Botany Department as Cladophora sp. (Fig. 1). The fish
ineasured 287 mm total length and weighed 340 g. During the period 7-8 May 1976,
three additional carp were captured from the same river with similar infections of
Gpizoophytic algae. The CZadop/zora sp. had pervaded the hone of the severely eroded
^ight operculum of a male carp measuring 325 mm and weighing 364 g. The Cladophora
sP- had also pervaded the left operculum and dorsal region of the cranium of another
male carp measuring 515 mm and weighing 1930 g. In addition, the cutaneous sides of
three post cranial dorsal scales harhoured what appeared to he an epizoophytic
C/iZoreZZasp. The third carp, also a male, measuring 573 mm and weighing 2610 g had
ne cutaneous sides of nine post cranial dorsal scales pervaded with a corahination of
epizoophytic CZarfqpAorasp. and Chlorellasp. On8 July 1976, a female carp measuring
^65 mm and weighing 4086 g was captured. The left opercular hone was pervaded with
C'^adop/iom sp. (Fig. 2).
With the exception of the 325 mm fish, the algae apparently had little detrimental
effect on the fish as indicated hy results from linear least square regression analysis
(Tahle 1). The poor condition of the 325 mm fish was prohably related to the serious-
'^<3ss of the algal infection.
Tsuda, Larson & Lujan (1972) in their investigations of the reefs off the Marianna
Islands, listed Cladophora sp. as epizoophytic on the teeth of two species of parrot
fish (Scaridae). In addition, they listed five species of Cyanophyta, two species of
Phaeophyta and three species of Rhodophyta as teeth epizoophytes on 15 species of
^orresijoiidence: Dr. C. J. Edwards, Ohio Cooperative Fisheries Research Unit, 1735 Neil Avenue,
Columbus, Ohio 43210, U.S.A. : ' ; :
0140-7775/78/0400-0175 S02.000 1978 Blackwell Scientific Publications
' ^ /' ' : ' ^ -^ ; ' ' ^^ \ '^ ' ' ^ ' ' ^ : 175
176 C.J.Edwards
'Aly^S' '
. : - ' -
I
Figure 1. Sample of Cladophora sp. from a carp operculum (x 75).
, ? : : . .
.... ^ ..^
:.. - 1
" .
"., =
Figure 2. A female carp 665 mm in length weighing 4086 g with opercular growth of Cladophora
parrot fish. These authors suggested that in all cases the algae represented
species merely invading another type of hard substratum and apparently were not
detrimental to the infected fish.
Vinyard (1953) reported Cladophora s^). as epizoophytic on black bass Micropterus
salmoides (Ijacepede) and smallmouth buffalo Ictiobus bubalus (Rafinesque) in Lake
Texoma, Oklahoma. In the black bass the infection was confined to and penetrated
the forward portion of the maxillary bone, while in the smallmouth buffalo the opei'
cular bone was the site of the infection. He suggested that prior to algal invasion oi
the tissue there may have been injury.to the specimens, although no
effect on the fish could be ascribed to the alga. :
Algal infection of fish tissue 177
Table 1. Observed and predicted weights (total regression sample
n = S35) from carp afflicted with epizoophytic Cladophora sp. and
Chlorella sp.
Length (mm)
Observed
257
325
515
573
665
Weight
Observed
340
364
1930
2610
4086
(g)
Predicted
331
447
1848
2530
3920
% Difference
+ 2-6
-31-0
+ 4-2
+ 3-1
+ 4-1
Significant
No
Yes
No
No
No ^ / ,
In their seawater culture studies of Tilapia aurea (Steindachner), Miller & Ballan-
(1974) noted an infection of the filamentous algae Enteromorpha lingulata and
Giffordia mitchillae upon the opercular bone of some of their specimens. The alga
E. lingulata was also found growing on the walls of the culture tanks. Suspecting
that the handling ofthe specimens had caused damage to the opercular region, they
^echa.nically removed the opercular scales of two specimens hy knife scraping, while
two additional specimens were abraded by rubbing them with a cloth. The two scraped
fish and one ofthe rubbed fish later exhibited opercular algal growths. Their results
suggested that physical abrasion against the tank walls, or handling, may remove
opercular skin and thus allow the algal infection to occur. In support of this
suggestion, Hoffman (1967) noted the growth of CZadop/iorasp. on the operculum of
I'ainbow trout Salmo gairdneri Richardson held in concrete ponds. The specimens
^ere apparently unharmed as no discernable behavioural or growth anomalies were
evident in the infected fish.
Nigrelli, McLaughlin & Jakowska (1958) reported the presence of Stigeoclonium
sp. within the nares of a kissing gourami Helostoma temmincki (Gnvier & Valencien-
^les) from the aquarium at the Bronx Zoo, New York City. They also isolated a uni-
cellular alga (Chlorococcales) from the original specimen. This unicellular alga was
successfully introduced into another specimen and caused an infection. The original
fish had previously suffered from attacks of lernaeid copepods, especially near the
dorsal region ofthe head, suggesting that the ulcerated areas left by the copepods
have been points of entry for the algal zoospores.
Hoffman, Prescott & Thompson (1965) reported the presence of Chlorella sp.
the eye orbit of a bluegill Lepomis ?nacroc/zirus Rafinesque taken from a pond
in West Virginia. Hoffman (persona! communication) also stated that the presence of
^ unicellular alga, originally reported (Hoffman, Bishop & Dunbar, 1960) as resem-
bling Mucophilus cypriyii, was probably a Chlorella sp. This latter alga, found
in the gill and skin epithelium, was identified as the pathogen in an extensive fish kill
of swordtail Xiphophorus helleri Heckel and kissing goUrami at a fish farm in Florida.
178 C.J. Edwards
Lucky (1970) has identified the alga Mucophilus cyprini as a pathogen which
causes severe losses of carp in European countries. In North America, a parasitic
dinoflagellate, Oodinium limnectum, was descrihed and named hy Jacohs (1946) as the
pathogen causing suhstantiaL losses of fish in fresh water aquaria. It is my opinion
thsA Mucophilus cyprini and Oodinium limnectum are at least congenerics. This
judgment is hased on the presence of yellow chromoplasts, similar morphology and
pathogenesis. Their similar morphology is especially apparent when comparing
Lucky's Fig. 2 with Jacobs' Plate III-14 and Lucky's Fig. 3 with Jacobs' Plate II-ll.
The results of this study suggest there are perhaps many algal species with the
ability to invade fish tissue. Filamentous algae, generally preferring the harder
substratum (i.e. teeth, scales, or bone) should presently be considered epizoophytic
With regard to bone tissue, algal infection appears to be facilitated by superficial
wounding. Indeed, the opercular epithelium of carp and other species of shallow water
spawners could easily be injured during their vigorous spawning activities thus
exposing the hard opercular bone as available substratum for algal penetration and
growth. For the centrarchid species, male mouth fighting is the common practice. 1
have ohserved personally many centrarchids, especially those of the genus Lepomis,
whose m.axillae were severely damaged. This exposed bone could provide algae with
a suitable and exposed substratum. Unicellular forms found subepidermally or within
epitheliartissue are usually described as parasitic, although epizoophytic types may
also exist.^ : / ^ ' ; '^ ^ ^''; ^ " \ -\" - '' ^^ ^' ' ^ ^ ' ^, ^, ^
Algal infections of fish tissue are probably more common than the literature would
seem to indicate. However, the responsibility of reporting such occurrences lies with
fish biologists who must become more observant of this phenomenon so we might
begin elucidating the mechanisms of infection and pathogenesis of infectious algae-
Acknowledgments
I wish to convey my sincere appreciation to Drs GL. Hoffman ofthe U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Fish Farming Experimental Station, and Clarence E. Taft of the
Department of Botany and Willard C. Myser of the Department of Zoology of the
Ohio State University for their assistance with the preparation of this manuscript-
This study was partially funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Contract
Number 14-16-0008-738 and the Department of Zoology ofthe Ohio State Univer-
sity, Columbus, Ohio 43210, U.S.A.
References
HOFFMAN G.L. (1967) Parasites of North Ameriean Freshwater Fishes. University of California
Berkeley and Los Angeles.
HOFFMAN G.L., BISHOP H. & DUNBAE C.E. (I960) Algalparasite in fish. Progressive Fish-Culturist 22,
^ " ' 1 8 0 . ' ^ ' ' ' ^ ' ' ' ^ ^'; ^ ' :. ^ ' ' ^ ^ ^ ' ' , ^ , ^' '^ ^ -
Algalinfection of fish tissue 179
HOFFMAN G.L., PRESCOTT G. W. & TITOMPSON C. E. (1965) Chlorella parasitic in bluegills. Progressive
I^'ish-CuUurist 27, 175.
JACOBS D.L. (1946) A new parasitic dinoflagellate from freshwater fish. Transactions of the American
Microscopical Society Go, 1-17.
LUCKY Z. (1970) Pathological changes with carp mucopMlosis. Acta Veterinaria Brno, Supplement 1, 39,
75-80.
MILLER J. W. & BALLANTINE D.L. (1974) Opercular algal growth on the cichlid fish Tilapia aurea
cultured in sea water. Aquaculture 4, 93-95.
NIGRELLI R.F., MCLAUGHLIN J . J . A. & JAK OWSK A S. (1958) Histozoic algal growth in fish. Copeia, 331-
333.
TSUDA R.A., LARSON W.K . & LUJAN R.J. (1972) Algal growth on heaks of live parrot fishes. Pacific
Science 26, 20-23.
RD W.C. (1953) Epizoophytic algae from mollusks, turtles, and fish in Oklahoma. Proceedings of
the Oklahoma Academy of Science 34, 63-65.