Fish Culture Today
Most infected rainbow trout die from whirling disease at a very young age. Those that do survive usually have deformed skeletons and skulls, bulging eyes, and black tails, like the ones pictured above.
Photo by Sascha L. Hallett
Most infected rainbow trout die from whirling disease at a very young age. Those that do survive usually have deformed skeletons and skulls, bulging eyes, and black tails, like the ones pictured above.
Photo by Sascha L. Hallett
The whirling disease parasite, Myxobolus cerebralis, forms small spores like this one, photographed with an electron microscope. The spores remain viable for dozens of years in the mud, until they are eaten by a small worm known as Tubifex tubifex. When the worms die, they release another phase of the parasite known as a triactinomyxon (TAM) that is ready to infect another fish and complete the life cycle.
Photo by Ronald P. Hedrick
The whirling disease parasite, Myxobolus cerebralis, forms small spores like this one, photographed with an electron microscope. The spores remain viable for dozens of years in the mud, until they are eaten by a small worm known as Tubifex tubifex. When the worms die, they release another phase of the parasite known as a triactinomyxon (TAM) that is ready to infect another fish and complete the life cycle.
Photo by Ronald P. Hedrick
Under a microscope, a Myxobolus cerebralis triactinomyxon looks like a grappling hook. At this stage, the parasite is ready to attach to a fish. When it does, three coiled springs in the tip (the dark portion on the right) shoot into the skin, providing a secure entrance route for the germ capsule.
Photo by Vicki Blazer, U.S. Geological Survey
Under a microscope, a Myxobolus cerebralis triactinomyxon looks like a grappling hook. At this stage, the parasite is ready to attach to a fish. When it does, three coiled springs in the tip (the dark portion on the right) shoot into the skin, providing a secure entrance route for the germ capsule.
Photo by Vicki Blazer, U.S. Geological Survey
