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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Leetown, West Virginia » Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #419032
Research Project: Integrated Research Approaches for Improving Production Efficiency in Rainbow Trout

Location: Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture Research

Title: Identification of potentially novel Mycobacterium species in freshwater ornamental fish in Trinidad and Tobago

Author
item BLAKE, LEMAR - University Of The West Indies
item BROWN-JORDAN, ARIANNE - University Of The West Indies
item NICHOLLS, SOREN - University Of The West Indies
item SOTO, ESTEBAN - University Of California, Davis
item Iwanowicz, Luke
item SUEPAUL, ROD - University Of The West Indies
item OURA, CHRISTOPHER - University Of The West Indies
item PHILLIPS-SAVAGE, AYANNA CARLA N - Virginia Polytechnic Institution & State University

Submitted to: Journal of Fish Diseases
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/20/2024
Publication Date: 1/7/2025
Citation: Blake, L., Brown-Jordan, A., Nicholls, S., Soto, E., Iwanowicz, L.R., Suepaul, R., Oura, C., Phillips-Savage, A. 2025. Identification of potentially novel Mycobacterium species in freshwater ornamental fish in Trinidad and Tobago. Journal of Fish Diseases. e14079. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfd.14079.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jfd.14079

Interpretive Summary: Mycobacteria are bacteria commonly found in fishes cultured in aquaculture settings. A number of mycobacterium that infect fish have zoonotic potential. Given the lack of apparent host specificity and ubiquity of these microbes, it is critical to catalog the diversity of new species to better define diversity as a proactive element of biopreparedness.

Technical Abstract: Potentially zoonotic Mycobacterium spp. are impacting freshwater ornamental fish in Trinidad and Tobago. Clinical cases presented at the Aquatic Animal Health Unit of The University of the West Indies, School of Veterinary Medicine, from September 2011 to September 2018 indicated the presence of piscine mycobacteriosis in freshwater ornamental fish from locations throughout Trinidad and Tobago. Subsequently, an investigation was conducted from June 2018 to December 2021 to identify the specific Mycobacterium spp. involved. Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify and later sequence the 723 bp of the rpoB. Analysis of region V of the rpoB offers similar discriminatory power as concatenation or whole genome analysis of Mycobacterium spp., and serves as an acceptable method for differentiating and discriminating between species in this genus. With respect to tank-reared freshwater ornamental fish, this study identified M. fortuitum (98.8% identity), M. liflandii (100% identity), M. stomatepiae (97.2% identity), M. pseudoshottsii related (96.9% identity), two M. stomatepiae related (95.4% and 96.7% identity), M. immunogenum related (93.4% identity), and 17 M. insubricum related (91.4%–95.2% identity). Additionally, seven mycobacteria related to M. insubricum were identified in wild-caught guppies. These findings suggest that both known, and potentially novel Mycobacterium spp. are circulating, and adversely impacting the local populations of freshwater ornamental fish in Trinidad and Tobago.