Steve Leek

Phoma herbarum , a fungal plant saprophyte, as a fish pathogen

Phoma herbarum , a fungal plant saprophyte, was isolated from diseased hatchery-reared coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch ), chinook salmon ( O . tshawytscha ), and rainbow trout ( Salmo gairdneri ). The disease was observed at 10 national fish hatcheries in Washington and Oregon, but the low incidence of experimental infections indicate that it is only weakly contagious. Histopathological examination suggests that the air bladder is one of the primary organs infected. The visceral organs are also affected in both natural and experimental infections.