| Abstract: | To identify the pathogen that causes scuticociliatosis in farmed-raised turbot Scophthalmus maximus,we isolated a ciliate from the brain tissue of an infected turbot and identified it as Uronema marinum based on morphological and molecular evidence.We then infected the turbots in artificial laboratory settings with pure cultured U.marinum.The infected turbots showed syndromes similar to those observed in naturally infected ones.Furthermore,microscopic examination and PCR detection confirmed the presence of the ciliate in the tissues of those laboratory-infected turbots.To our best knowledge,this is the first report of scuticociliatosis caused by U.marinum in farm-raised turbot S.maximus in China. |
