Lymphocystis
Encyclopedia
Lymphocystis is a common viral
disease
of freshwater
and saltwater
fish
.
Aquarists often come across this virus when their fish are stressed such as when put into a new environment and the virus is able to grow.
The fish starts growing small white pin-prick like growths on their fin
s or skin and this is often mistaken for Ich/Ick (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis) in the early stages. It soon clumps together to form a cauliflower-like growth on the skin, fins, and occasional gill
s.
There is no known treatment for this virus, though some aquarists recommend surgery to remove the affected area if it is very serious.
Eventually the growths inhibit the fish's ability to swim, breathe or eat, and secondary bacteria
l infections usually kills the fish.
Usually the best cure is to simply give the fish a stress free life, a weekly bacteria treatment and the virus will slowly subside and the fins will repair themselves. This can take many months.
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
of freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
and saltwater
Seawater
Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
.
Aquarists often come across this virus when their fish are stressed such as when put into a new environment and the virus is able to grow.
The fish starts growing small white pin-prick like growths on their fin
Fin
A fin is a surface used for stability and/or to produce lift and thrust or to steer while traveling in water, air, or other fluid media, . The first use of the word was for the limbs of fish, but has been extended to include other animal limbs and man-made devices...
s or skin and this is often mistaken for Ich/Ick (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis) in the early stages. It soon clumps together to form a cauliflower-like growth on the skin, fins, and occasional gill
Gill
A gill is a respiratory organ found in many aquatic organisms that extracts dissolved oxygen from water, afterward excreting carbon dioxide. The gills of some species such as hermit crabs have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are kept moist...
s.
There is no known treatment for this virus, though some aquarists recommend surgery to remove the affected area if it is very serious.
Eventually the growths inhibit the fish's ability to swim, breathe or eat, and secondary bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
l infections usually kills the fish.
Usually the best cure is to simply give the fish a stress free life, a weekly bacteria treatment and the virus will slowly subside and the fins will repair themselves. This can take many months.