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Infection with acid-fast bacteria, such as Mycobacterium or Nocardia. |
loss of appetite
Bulging eyes
hollow-bellied appearance
Loss of color
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Fish suffering from this disease often have an emaciated, hollow-bellied appearance, with coincident loss of appetite and loss of color. They may exhibit other symptoms, including pop-eye', tubercles, (about the size of a pinhead) usually occur within the internal organs of affected fish, although a fungal parasite called Ichthyophonus may also produce similar nodules.
The disease is probably passed from fish to fish by feeding on infected material, although the passage of Mycobacterium from parent fish to offspring is also possible, especially in livebearers.
Feeding fish with other infected fish, or materials from infected fish, is therefore an important source of infection. As with many diseases, apparently healthy fish may harbor the infection without ever showing signs of the disease. However, an outbreak may be brought on if fish carrying the infection are subjected to poor environmental conditions.
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