Fish Flesh Eating Disease - Help

[ochocenko]

So I hit up blackstrap yesterday and ended up with this perch that appears to have some kind of flesh eating disease. It is definately not made from a larger fish trying to attack it. The flesh was affected on both sides of the fish but the side shown was the worst of the two. It had some kind of black/brown looking growth on the side of it that was hairy and furry looking. Have a look and let me know if any of you have seen this. I couldn't revive the fish so I kept it sealed in a ziplock in my freezer. If there are any biologists or something that want it or if you know somewhere that would take it to test it let me know. I have never seen this EVER before in any lakes that I've fished - maybe it's more common than I think...

[ProV1X]

That's just plain nasty. Never seen one like that.

[adipose]

that looks to me like a fish that had a large wound that later picked up the brown growth. That chunk could easily have been taken out by a large pike....and we all know the size of pike in the strap. Could also be an angler that has no regard for fish and wanted to watch a fish suffer and threw the fish back down the hole after a swipe with the fillet knife. Just my two cents worth...a biologist im not.

[walleyeslayer1978]

I would say that is a wound from a pike that was pretty serious and got infected. But who knows.

[ochocenko]

I guess that could be with the fish bite and all... That brown growth was growing on good flesh and you could almost peel the skin off the meat underneath the growth.

[The Beachcomber]

Here are the contacts for the Ichthyology (Fish) labs at the University of Saskatchewan, they may be able to help or forward you to the pathology labs at the Western Vet Med College on campus.  You could try Sask Environment but they could care less for the resources, I have tried before with fish kills at certain lakes and they seem annoyed and don't do anything.  The university people actually enjoy their work and are always on the look out for something strange and new.

Instructors: Jeff Sereda, Doug Chivers
Office: Jeff (305 Biology), Doug (233 Biology)
Phone: Jeff (966-4412), Doug (966-4419)
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Office hours: Jeff (drop in), Doug (by appointment)
Laboratory Instructor: Dale Jefferson
Office: 234 Biology
Phone: 966-1430

[ochocenko]

Thanks for the info beachcomber. I'll give it a try