Bacteria associated with winter mortalities in laboratory-reared common dentex (Dentex dentex L.)

A pathological study was conducted on laboratory-reared juvenile common dentex (Dentex dentex) suffering trickling and continuous mortalities. During a 3-month period (October-December), water temperature, clinical signs and mortalities were recorded. Moribund or dead fish were examined for bacteria and parasites. Bacteria were isolated from head kidney and external ulcers, and samples from the gills, intestine, stomach, trunk kidney, gall bladder and liver were taken for histology. Cumulative mortality reached 73%, and 80% of fish examined were positive for bacteria (102 isolates). Vibrio splendidus was the most prevalent in head kidney (59.7%) and ulcers (88.9%), and it was frequently iso…