Description

Infection with Glugea anomala (microsporidia) is known to occur in sticklebacks. Symptoms of this infection are cysts of up to 10 mm in the intestines, the swim bladder wall and the connective tissue. If cysts form in the skin tissue, they look like large whitish cloudy blisters. These kinds of infections caused by microsporidia also occur in warm water fish, particularly in catfish from the suckermouth armoured catfish (Loricariidae) and armoured catfish (Callichthyidae) families, although they are very rare according to observations until now. The blisters are embedded in the skin tissue, are of hard consistency and don't burst and release the spores until later.

Treatment

There is currently no known treatment. Infected animals must be killed in order to prevent the infection from spreading to other fish in the aquarium.