Fish with ‘acne’ and sunken eyes are no cause for alarm, Arkansas officials say
.jpeg "The fungal infection Saprolegniosis appears on fish as waters get cold in winter, but it shouldn’t be cause for alarm, officials say. Photo from Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.")
If you spot a fish with “acne,” it’s probably nothing to worry about, officials say.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission says anglers send in photos of “unsightly” looking fish about this time of year. Scaled fish may have “cotton-like patches” while fish without scales might appear to have dried skin that is losing color, officials say. In some cases, the fish have sunken eyes.
This “acne” is a fungal infection, and it’s “no cause for alarm,” experts say. Fish catch the disease called saprolegniosis in winter as water temperatures get colder, Kelly Winningham, a fish pathologist for Arkansas, said in a news release.
“This is generally when water temperatures are in the optimal growth range for the fungi,” Winningham said. “Unlike some diseases, water molds are everywhere in the environment. In the soil, in the water, everywhere. They are transmitted through the water and often get through the fish’s natural defenses when it is injured or stressed.”
Though the infection can kill fish in severe cases, the disease doesn’t post a large threat to the population, officials say.
Anglers can help prevent the disease by carefully handling fish when practicing catch-and-release. However, the stress on fish from simply being caught and cold temperatures may cause the infection.
If anglers want to eat the fish, they can cut water mold from the filet, officials say. But in some cases, the infection may be too widespread for the fish to be salvaged.
This story was originally published November 30, 2020 at 11:50 AM with the headline "Fish with ‘acne’ and sunken eyes are no cause for alarm, Arkansas officials say."