Tom
> ----------
> From: Adrian R. Tappin[SMTP:atappin at ecn.net.au]
> Reply To: rainbowfish at pcug.org.au
> Sent: Monday, February 09, 1998 2:23 PM
> To: rainbowfish at pcug.org.au
> Subject: [RML] Black skin patches
>
> I though I would share something with you all while on the subject of
> fish
> diseases. I received the following email message last week.
>
> >Could you help? Yesterday I noticed our mature male Trifasciata
> (Arnhem
> >Ck) with a dark patch at a third of his body (tail end), on one side
> only,
> >and only above the center black stripe. Then last night the last
> 1/4" of
> >his black stripe, just before his tail fin, started loosing colour.
> On
> >close look of that part, the scales are still quite shiny.
> >
> >About six months ago we had a female Incisis that lost the colour on
> the
> >second half of its body, infact it looked as if the bacteria had
> eaten away
> >her scales! She caught the disease and deteriorated very quickly
> (within
> >few days). We had to freeze her as she was starting to smell!
> >
> >I fear that the Trifasciata could have the same thing. What do you
> think?
> >What can we do?
>
> This is one of many similar questions I receive all the time through
> email
> from people all around the globe and in person, so I perceive this
> problem
> to be fairly common with rainbowfishes.
>
> Well, I just had confirmed today that once again we find TB to be the
> culprit. I have had three such specimens showing the dark skin
> discolouration only on one side of the head and a fourth specimen
> showing
> black discolouration on the rear half of one side of its body tested
> and the
> results show acid-fast bacteria to be present that has affected the
> neural
> pathways which control the skin colouration.
>
> I might add that the fish in question did not show any other visible
> signs
> of disease or stress, they were eating well and generally looks quite
> healthy. I just wanted to know what was causing the discolouration.
>
> I don't have the full results in hand at the moment so cant give you
> more
> details. However, to me it only confirms what I said earlier about TB
> being
> a major problem, particularly with rainbowfishes. This along with the
> well-known symptoms of mycobacteria and many of the more unusual
> symptoms
> will, if tested, prove to be caused by mycobacteria infection.
>
> Steve Prycroft (Fish Vet) advised me that he received some Goyder
> River tris
> last week with the same black patches on one side of the head and they
> tested positive to mycobacteria infection as well.
>
> Adrian.
>
> ...............................................................
> Adrian R. Tappin
> "Home of the Rainbowfish"
> http://www.ecn.net.au/~atappin/home.htm
>
> ...............................................................
>