This document discusses several common fungal diseases that affect fish: Saprolegniasis is the most common fungal infection in pet fish, usually affecting areas of injury. Branchiomycosis is a fungal infection of gill tissue that obstructs blood flow and causes gills to lose color. Ichthyophonus is a systemic fungal disease characterized by lesions on the skin and internal organs with no known cure. Dermatomycosis causes fine hair-like growths on infected areas and can cause fin erosion and hemorrhaging. Good management practices like water quality, nutrition, and handling are important for controlling fungal infections in fish.

1. FUNGAL DISEASES OF
FISH
Name:-Ananya Anuradha Sahoo
Regd.no:-220705180075
Subject:-Fish and shellfish Health Management(CUTM1445)
Branch:-M.Sc. In Zoology
Department of Zoology
School of Applied Sciences, CUTM, BBSR.

2. CONTENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• COMMON FUNGAL DISEASES:
SAPROLEGNIASIS
BRANCHIOMYCOSIS
ICHTHYOPHONUS
DERMATOMYCOSIS
• CONCLUSION
• REFFERENCES

3. INTRODUCTION
Fungal diseases in fish are usually external and almost always
secondary in nature. Precipitating factors include disease
caused by a different pathogen, poor environmental
conditions water quality or injury. Fungal infections are
caused by different groups of organisms including true fungi
and Oomycetes(water mold). 1st fungal infection noted in fish
by ARDERON in 1784.

4. COMMON FUNGAL DISEASES
• SAPROLEGNIASIS
• BRANCHIOMYCOSIS
• ICHTHYOPHONUS
• DERMATOMYCOSIS

5. SAPROLEGNIASIS
• Saprolegniasis is perhaps the most common “fungal”
infection in pet fish, but actually is classified as water
mold(Oomycetes) and not a true fungus. This organism
usually will affect areas of previous injury and causes as
external infection.
• Causative agent: Saprolegnia parasitic, Saprolegnia diclina
and Achlya hoferi are the major etiological agents of
saprolegniasis.

6. • Treatments : It includes environmental
management/removal of inciting cause, supportive
care and chemicals such as potassium permanganate,
formalin, malachite green and salt.

7. BRANCHIOMYCOSIS(GILL
ROT)
• Branchiomycosis is a fungal disease involving gill tissues,
affecting the most species of freshwater fish.
• It is a “fungal” infection also classified as a water
mold(parasitic or saprobic organisms living chiefly in fresh
water or moist soil) of the gill tissue caused by
Branchiomyces demigrans and sanguinis.
Causative agent: (Branchiomyces sanguinis) : It grows
mainly in the blood vessels of gill arches, filaments and in
the gill lamellae.
• (Branchiomyces demigrans): This fungal species is found
in the parenchymal tissues of gills.

8. Symptoms: This disease is seen in the blood vessels
of the gill tissues and it obstructs.
• The circulation of blood through the gills, which
makes the gills lose their bright red in color.
Treatment: Diseased fish can be treated with
malachite green at 0.1mg/l for extended periods of
time or 0.3mg/l for 12 hours.
• Branchiomycosis should be dried and treated with
calcium oxide (quicklime) or 2 to 3kg copper
sulphate per hectare.

9. ICHTHYOPHONOSIS
• Ichthyophonus is a fungal disease of both freshwater
and marine fish. Disease characterized by rough or
granulomatus of the skin and white to gray-white
lesions in the internal organs and different parts of
the body.
Causative agent: Ichthyophonus hoferi, obligate
parasite, spherical or oval in shape, yellowish-brown
and has granulated cytoplasm. The fungus lives as an
intercellular parasite in the tissues of various organs.

10. DERMATOMYCOSIS
• It is caused by various member of class Oomycete.
Symptoms : Appearance of fine hair like tuffs hanging
from the infected areas.
• The fin become eroded and haemorrhagic at the
latter stage of disease infected eggs tend to stick
together and finally die.
Treatment : Use copper sulphate, potassium
permanganate at the dose of 1g per 10l of water for 30
min treatment is repeated every 12 hours for 10 days.

11. CONCLUSION
• Fungal diseases are often indicative of more serious
problem. Saprolegniasis is a common fungal disease
which affects the external surfaces of fish. On the
other hand Branchiomycosis has caused high
mortalities in cultured fish and is difficult to control.
Ichthyophonus disease is a systemic fungal disease
and once it enters the fish, there is no cure. The best
control for all fungal infections is good
management:good water quality, good nutrition and
proper handling.

12. REFERENCES
• Fish Diseases (2017) Edited By Takashi Aoki, UNESCO-EOLSS
Publishers.ISBN 9781780210407
• Axelrod HR, Untergasser D (1989). Handbook of fish diseases.
Neptune, NJ: T.F.H. Publications. ISBN 978-0-86622-703-2.
• Andrews C (1988). The Manual of Fish Health. Stillwater, MN:
Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-1-56465-160-0.
• Exell A, Burgess PH, Bailey MT (29 May 1999). A-Z of Tropical
Fish Diseases and Health Problems. New York, N.Y: Howell Book
House. ISBN 978-1-58245-049-0.
• Fairfield, T (2000). A commonsense guide to fish health.
Woodbury, N.Y: Barron's Educational Series. ISBN 978-0-7641-
13.

13. • Rohde, Klaus (2005) Marine Parasitology Csiro Publishing.
ISBN 9780643099272.
• Moyle, PB and Cech, JJ (2004) Fishes, An Introduction to
Ichthyology. 5th Ed, Benjamin Cummings. ISBN 978-0-13-
100847-2
• Woo PTK (1995) Fish Diseases and Disorders: Volume 1:
Protozoan and Metazoan Infections Cabi Series. ISBN
9780851988238.
• Woo PTK (2011) Fish Diseases and Disorders: Volume 2:
Non-Infectious Disorders Cabi Series. ISBN 9781845935535.
• Woo PTK (2011) Fish Diseases and Disorders: Volume 3:
Viral, Bacterial and Fungal Infections Cabi Series. ISBN
9781845935542.