2
CARL J. SINDERMANN
methods to control and manipulate such factors, have tended to
discourage continuing and extensive studies of such specific aspects of
the marine environment as disease. Growing awareness that the human
population is increasing enormously, that over two-thirds of the earth’s
surface is ocean, and that we understand little of the dynamics of
production in the sea, has led to increasing scrutiny in recent years of
those variables that might a t any particular time become overriding
in their influence on population size. Disease is one such variable.
Diseases of food fishes have logically received greatest attention in
past research, and will do so in the present paper. Parasites and diseases,
in addition to killing the host, can materially reduce the value of fish
as food for humans ; this fact serves as a further incentive to examine
diseases of commercial species. Non-utilized fish may receive attention
because of some academic interest, but the preponderance of research
concerns food species with large biomass. The term “ disease ’’ is used
here in its broadest possible sense, to include any departure from
normal structure or function of the organism-encompassing those
states that result from activities of infectious agents, parasite invasion
and genetic or environmentally induced abnormalities. Such a broad
definition of disease in marine fishes requires the inclusion of a surprising amount of widely scattered literature-probably more than can
be comfortably considered in this review, and certainly more than
might be expected in view of the apparent neglect of the field.
Access to the literature on marine fish diseases is a t present indirect.
Several general texts on fish parasites and diseases have appeared in
the German language (Hofer, 1904 ; Plehn, 1924 ; Schaperclaus, 1954 ;
Amlacher, 1961). The latest edition of Schaperclaus’ excellent text
contains information on disease in marine as well as fresh-water fishes.
Recently, several shorter texts on diseases of lower vertebrates by
Reichenbach-Klinke have been translated into English, expanded, and
combined into a more comprehensive work (Reichenbach-Klinke and
Elkan, 1965). Kahl, Reichenbach-Klinke, and Schaperclaus have made
numerous significant contributions to the German literature. Russian
texts, symposium volumes and reviews (Liaiman, 1949, 1957; Dogiel,
1954, 1955; Petrushevskii, 1957; Dogiel et al., 1958; Pavlovskii, 1959,
1962; Polyanski and Bykhovskii, 1959) contain summarizations of
marine studies and have appeared in English translations. Among the
important contributors to the Russian literature have been Dogiel,
Petrushevskii, Polyanski and Shulman. Other nations have also made
significant summarizing contributions to the general literature on fish
diseases. Bergman (1923) published an early monograph in Swedish;
k’ujita (1943) published a text on diseases of fish and shellfish in
CARL J. SINDERMANN
methods to control and manipulate such factors, have tended to
discourage continuing and extensive studies of such specific aspects of
the marine environment as disease. Growing awareness that the human
population is increasing enormously, that over two-thirds of the earth’s
surface is ocean, and that we understand little of the dynamics of
production in the sea, has led to increasing scrutiny in recent years of
those variables that might a t any particular time become overriding
in their influence on population size. Disease is one such variable.
Diseases of food fishes have logically received greatest attention in
past research, and will do so in the present paper. Parasites and diseases,
in addition to killing the host, can materially reduce the value of fish
as food for humans ; this fact serves as a further incentive to examine
diseases of commercial species. Non-utilized fish may receive attention
because of some academic interest, but the preponderance of research
concerns food species with large biomass. The term “ disease ’’ is used
here in its broadest possible sense, to include any departure from
normal structure or function of the organism-encompassing those
states that result from activities of infectious agents, parasite invasion
and genetic or environmentally induced abnormalities. Such a broad
definition of disease in marine fishes requires the inclusion of a surprising amount of widely scattered literature-probably more than can
be comfortably considered in this review, and certainly more than
might be expected in view of the apparent neglect of the field.
Access to the literature on marine fish diseases is a t present indirect.
Several general texts on fish parasites and diseases have appeared in
the German language (Hofer, 1904 ; Plehn, 1924 ; Schaperclaus, 1954 ;
Amlacher, 1961). The latest edition of Schaperclaus’ excellent text
contains information on disease in marine as well as fresh-water fishes.
Recently, several shorter texts on diseases of lower vertebrates by
Reichenbach-Klinke have been translated into English, expanded, and
combined into a more comprehensive work (Reichenbach-Klinke and
Elkan, 1965). Kahl, Reichenbach-Klinke, and Schaperclaus have made
numerous significant contributions to the German literature. Russian
texts, symposium volumes and reviews (Liaiman, 1949, 1957; Dogiel,
1954, 1955; Petrushevskii, 1957; Dogiel et al., 1958; Pavlovskii, 1959,
1962; Polyanski and Bykhovskii, 1959) contain summarizations of
marine studies and have appeared in English translations. Among the
important contributors to the Russian literature have been Dogiel,
Petrushevskii, Polyanski and Shulman. Other nations have also made
significant summarizing contributions to the general literature on fish
diseases. Bergman (1923) published an early monograph in Swedish;
k’ujita (1943) published a text on diseases of fish and shellfish in