Dermocystidium anguillae Found on the Gills of the European Eel, Anguilla anguilla Cultured in Japan

An epizootic of dermocystidiosis occurred among pond-cultured European eels, Anguilla anguilla for the first time at a fish farm in Shizuoka Prefecture. The fungus was identified as Dermocystidium anguillae which was first reported by SPANGENBERG (1975) in East Germany. The cysts were parasitic in the epithelial and connective tissues of the gills. Attempts were made to culture the parasite on some media, but without success.When the water temperature of tanks with the diseased eels was experimentally raised from 20°C to 30°C, the cysts disappeared from the gills of all the eels within a few days, which suggested that this disease could be cured by warm-water bathing.