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Fishes
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Advances in Pathology of Aquatic Animals
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Advances in Pathology of Aquatic Animals

A special issue of Fishes (ISSN 2410-3888). This special issue belongs to the section "Fish Pathology and Parasitology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2026 | Viewed by 5915

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Maria Cristina Chávez-Sánchez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Unidad Mazatlán en Acuicultura y Manejo Ambiental, Sinaloa, Mexico
Interests: fish histopathology; nutritional pathology; aquatic toxicology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aquaculture must provide protein for the increased human population in the following decades. However, this industry faces many challenges, such as climate change, pollution, and diseases. As observed by the FAO, diseases are an important factor that reduce aquaculture productivity, resulting in millions of USD of losses and thousands of tonnes of less food. With the advances in biotechnology and multidisciplinary scientific research, we can find possible solutions to these challenges through the improvement of diets, the use of new analysis technologies such as omics sciences, the use of novel treatments, artificial intelligence, new advances in the knowledge, and the recognition of the importance of microbiota.

This Special Issue aims to receive research on aspects such as the effects of climate change and pollution on the outbreaks of diseases, the novelty of the importance of microbiota, nutritional diseases, and the immune system, the progress in genomic studies related to diseases, and emerging technologies in fish farming that reduce the risk of health problems, such as the use of functional additives.

Prof. Dr. Maria Cristina Chávez-Sánchez
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fishes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • disease responses to nutritional and environmental stress (pollution and climate change)
  • host–pathogen interactions and novel treatments
  • genomic approaches to infectious diseases
  • host–microbiota and immune responses
  • emerging technologies in fish farming health and welfare (diagnostic, prevention, biosensors, AI, etc.)
  • functional supplements/additives in aquatic animal health

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2197 KB  
Article
Zeuxapta seriolae (Meserve, 1938) Infections in Cultured Greater Amberjack, Seriola dumerili (Risso, 1810), from the Middle Eastern Adriatic Sea
by Slavica Čolak, Tomislav Šarić, Matko Kolega, Danijel Mejdandžić, Relja Beck, Perla Tedesco, Marialetizia Fioravanti, Andrea Gustinelli and Monica Caffara
Fishes 2026, 11(4), 196; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes11040196 - 25 Mar 2026
Viewed by 465
Abstract
Parasitic diseases pose significant challenges to the success of mariculture. The health management strategies used in sea-cage aquaculture are not completely effective at preventing parasites from entering through interactions with wild fish. This study monitored the health status of greater amberjack (Seriola [...] Read more.
Parasitic diseases pose significant challenges to the success of mariculture. The health management strategies used in sea-cage aquaculture are not completely effective at preventing parasites from entering through interactions with wild fish. This study monitored the health status of greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili, Risso 1810) over a two-month period following their introduction to the farm in the Middle Eastern Adriatic Sea in July 2019. Zeuxapta seriolae was detected on the gills after 722 degree days (DD), with a 28% prevalence, a mean abundance of 1.00 parasite per fish (four examined arches), and a mean intensity of 3.57 parasites per infected fish. From 985 DD, prevalence was 100%; the parasite burden continued to rise, and by the final sampling at 1535 DD, the mean abundance reached 212.68 parasites per fish (53.17 per gill arch). At that point, fish express a sudden loss of appetite; no external symptoms were observed, except for mortality. This is the first report of Z. seriolae in cultured greater amberjack in the Adriatic Sea, and the study emphasises the difficulties in applying effective biosecurity measures in floating net cages. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Pathology of Aquatic Animals)
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20 pages, 17821 KB  
Article
Skin Ulceration in Farmed Leopard Coral Grouper (Plectropomus leopardus) Was Associated with Vibrio spp. and Photobacterium damselae in China
by Yunji Xiu, Xiaowan Lin, Lirong Jiang, Zemin Bai, Jinlong Dong, Jinjing Cao, Xiuxiu Tian, Yu Zhang, Wei Wang, Ying Huang, Bo Zhou, Lei Wang and Songlin Chen
Fishes 2026, 11(2), 84; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes11020084 - 1 Feb 2026
Viewed by 702
Abstract
The leopard coral grouper (Plectropomus leopardus), an economically important marine fish, is widely farmed in Hainan Province, China. However, intensive farming has led to frequent disease outbreaks, including viral nervous necrosis, vibriosis, and enteritis, with skin ulceration a widespread and significant [...] Read more.
The leopard coral grouper (Plectropomus leopardus), an economically important marine fish, is widely farmed in Hainan Province, China. However, intensive farming has led to frequent disease outbreaks, including viral nervous necrosis, vibriosis, and enteritis, with skin ulceration a widespread and significant concern. To identify the pathogen causing skin ulceration, we collected diseased fish from Hainan and conducted histopathological and ultrastructural analyses, parasite examination, viral metagenomic sequencing, and bacterial isolation and identification. The histopathological analysis and ultrastructural observation showed that the diseased P. leopardus displayed marked pathological alterations, with significant hepatic degeneration and necrosis and splenic structural disorganization. Parasites and viruses were both excluded from being the primary pathogen. A total of 79 bacterial strains were isolated from diseased P. leopardus liver tissue, including Vibrio harveyi (38 strains, 48.1%), Vibrio owensii (17 strains, 21.5%), Vibrio rotiferianus (16 strains, 20.3%), and Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae (8 strains, 10.1%). Infection experiments suggested that all four bacterial species could induce skin ulceration. This study demonstrates that skin ulceration in P. leopardus is associated with multiple bacterial pathogens, refining the previous view that attributed the disease solely to V. harveyi. These findings provide a foundation for developing vaccines and disease-resistant breeding strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Pathology of Aquatic Animals)
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18 pages, 1954 KB  
Article
Distinct Innate Immune Programs in Nile Tilapia Head Kidney During Infections with Streptococcus agalactiae, Escherichia coli and Vibrio harveyi
by Jiaoni Cheng, Yupeng Luo, Jie Shen, Kangping Yang and Zhangxia Lyu
Fishes 2025, 10(12), 656; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10120656 - 18 Dec 2025
Viewed by 816
Abstract
Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is a globally important aquaculture species. However, intensive farming conditions increase the risk of bacterial diseases. Despite the fact that a considerable number of transcriptomic studies have examined host responses to single bacterial infections, comparative analyses conducted [...] Read more.
Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is a globally important aquaculture species. However, intensive farming conditions increase the risk of bacterial diseases. Despite the fact that a considerable number of transcriptomic studies have examined host responses to single bacterial infections, comparative analyses conducted within a unified experimental framework remain scarce, limiting the understanding of pathogen-specific defence mechanisms. In this study, tilapia were experimentally infected with Streptococcus agalactiae, Escherichia coli, or Vibrio harveyi via thoracic injection. Head kidney tissues were collected at 48 h post-infection for RNA sequencing. The identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was conducted utilising the edgeR, and the assessment of functional enrichment was facilitated through the implementation of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. A comparative analysis was conducted between the bacterial infection groups and the control group. The results of this analysis revealed the identification of 2930, 3328, and 4850 DEGs were identified in the S. agalactiae, E. coli, and V. harveyi infection groups, respectively. Integrated transcriptomic analysis, combining KEGG enrichment and expression profiling of key genes, revealed distinct response patterns across pathogens. The S. agalactiae infection predominantly activated innate immune signaling pathways, including Toll-like receptor, NOD-like receptor, cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction, and NF-κB pathways. In contrast, E. coli infection induced extensive metabolic reprogramming, notably in purine and pyrimidine metabolism, carbon metabolism, and amino acid biosynthesis. Meanwhile, an infection caused by V. harveyi resulted in mucosal and lysosomal defence responses, as evidenced by an increase in lysosome, phagosome, extracellular matrix–receptor interaction, and cell adhesion molecule pathways. Collectively, this study suggests that the head kidney of Nile tilapia employs pathogen-specific defence strategies rather than a uniform antibacterial response, providing one of the first transcriptomic comparisons of distinct bacterial infections in this species. These findings provide fundamental data and theoretical insights for elucidating immune mechanisms in teleost fish and for developing targeted prevention and control strategies in aquaculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Pathology of Aquatic Animals)
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15 pages, 4176 KB  
Article
Lysozyme Activity in the Hemolymph of Octopus vulgaris (Cuvier, 1797) Following Challenge with Gram-Negative Bacteria: Insights into Temperature-Driven Innate Immune Response
by Daniella-Mari White, Eleni Anastasiadou, Michail-Aggelos Valsamidis and Vasileios Bakopoulos
Fishes 2025, 10(9), 428; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10090428 - 1 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1149
Abstract
As aquaculture expands globally, understanding immune responses in non-traditional farmed species like Octopus vulgaris under varying environmental conditions is increasingly important. This study investigated lysozyme activity, a key innate immune marker, in cell-free hemolymph of O. vulgaris following experimental challenge with four Gram-negative [...] Read more.
As aquaculture expands globally, understanding immune responses in non-traditional farmed species like Octopus vulgaris under varying environmental conditions is increasingly important. This study investigated lysozyme activity, a key innate immune marker, in cell-free hemolymph of O. vulgaris following experimental challenge with four Gram-negative fish pathogens (Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida, P. damselae subsp. damselae, Vibrio alginolyticus, and V. anguillarum O1) at two temperatures (21 ± 0.5 °C and 24 ± 0.5 °C). These pathogens were selected because octopus farming frequently occurs near fish aquaculture facilities, raising the potential for pathogen crossover. A total of 216 wild octopuses were injected intramuscularly or intravenously and sampled on days 0, 3, and 7 post-challenge. Lysozyme activity varied by pathogen, injection route, sampling time, and temperature. A significant time- and temperature-dependent increase was observed, especially in IM-challenged groups exposed to Photobacterium species. Elevated temperatures supported a more prolonged immune response. These results highlight lysozyme as a responsive biomarker of innate immunity in O. vulgaris and emphasize the role of environmental factors in immune modulation. This work provides a foundation for disease monitoring and health management in cephalopod aquaculture. Future research should examine long-term lysozyme dynamics, broader pathogen exposure, molecular mechanisms, and additional environmental stressors such as salinity and pollution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Pathology of Aquatic Animals)
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14 pages, 1271 KB  
Article
Selection of Reference Genes by Quantitative Real-Time PCR in Different Cell Lines from Humpback Grouper (Cromileptes altivelis)
by Xiangyu Du, Han Zhang, Longfei Zhu, Zhenjie Cao, Chen Zhang, Ying Wu, Yongcan Zhou and Yun Sun
Fishes 2024, 9(12), 491; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes9120491 - 30 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2038
Abstract
Humpback grouper (Cromileptes altivelis) is an economically important fish, but the increasing density of its farming has led to more severe disease outbreaks. To address this challenge, we established brain (CAB) and kidney (CAK) cell lines in our laboratory previously, providing [...] Read more.
Humpback grouper (Cromileptes altivelis) is an economically important fish, but the increasing density of its farming has led to more severe disease outbreaks. To address this challenge, we established brain (CAB) and kidney (CAK) cell lines in our laboratory previously, providing a valuable tool for in vitro studies on immune responses. In this study, we used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to identify the optimal reference gene from six reference genes for CAB and CAK cells, under both normal conditions and after stimulation with LPS or Poly I: C. The qRT-PCR data were analyzed using geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper software (Version 3.5) to ensure comprehensve evaluation. The results showed that RPL13 was the most stable reference gene for both CAB and CAK cells under normal conditions. Following LPS stimulation, TTLL1 was the best reference gene for CAB cells, while RPL13 remained the most suitable for CAK cells. For Poly I: C stimulation, EF1A and Actin were identified as the most stable reference genes for CAB and CAK cells, respectively. To confirm the reliability of the selected reference genes, we analyzed the expression of the cytokine genes IL-6 and IFN-h, demonstrating the dependability of these reference genes. This study lays a solid foundation for exploring gene expression patterns in humpback grouper cell lines under various experimental conditions, providing essential insights for future research into immune processes and disease control strategies in aquaculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Pathology of Aquatic Animals)
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