• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.117-121
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• 2021

An ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis) farm in Korea recently experienced an epidemic of vertebral column deformities where about 90% of fry displayed a vertebral column that was grossly opaque along either the cranial part of the column or its entire length. Abnormal fish were lordotic, scoliotic and/or kyphotic about midway down the spine. Examination of serial sections of whole fish showed only histological lesions in the vertebral column and suggested some disturbance in the early development of the vertebral centrum. Such abnormalities included a frayed spinal or notochord sheaths with irregular thickening and compression, mal-absorbed notochord cells, thickening of around cell layer and hypercellularity on both facets of the notochord sheath. No parasites, fungi, or bacteria were detected. While this lesion has only been reported once in the past, this is the first report of histopathological findings.