Mycobacteriosis is a chronic bacterial disease reported in aquatic and terrestrial animals, including humans. The disease affects a wide range of cultured and wild organisms worldwide. Mycobacteriosis is well-known in aquatic vertebrates (e.g., finfish, marine mammals), while in the last few years, reports of its presence in aquatic invertebrates have been on the rise, for both freshwater and marine species. The number of cases is likely to increase as a result of increased awareness, surveillance and availability of diagnostic methods. Domestication of wild aquatic species and the intensification of modern aquaculture are also leading to an increase in the number of reported cases. Moreover, climate changes are affecting fresh and marine aquatic ecosystems. The increasing reports of mycobacteriosis in aquatic invertebrates may also be influenced by global climate warming, which could contribute to the microbes’ development and survival rates, pathogen transmission and host susceptibility. Several species of the genus Mycobacterium have been diagnosed in aquatic invertebrates; a few of them are significant due to their wide host spectrum, economic impact in aquaculture, and zoonotic potential. The impact of mycobacteriosis in aquatic invertebrates is probably underestimated, and there is currently no effective treatment other than facility disinfection. In this review, we provide an overview of the diversity of mycobacterial infections reported in molluscs, crustaceans, cnidarians, echinoderms and sponges. We highlight important issues relating to its pathological manifestation, diagnosis and zoonotic considerations.

Physiological adaptations have evolved to help sharks face rapid periods of feast. Tiger sharks are generalist apex predators that rely on a high-lipid/protein diet. To achieve a satisfactory nutritional condition, proper lipid absorption and hepatic storage are needed. Bile secretion in sharks is low and sporadic but increases during short periods of fasting. The present study describes a physiological impairment caused by bile accumulation in juvenile tiger sharks, possibly due to prolonged fasting. These evidences suggest that, even though sharks have adaptations that prevent them from dying from starvation, alarming physiological alterations might occur. Future studies are needed to assess how such a condition can affect wild populations, as well as possible sublethal consequences that could impact their long-term survival.

Summary: This study is an initial description and discussion of the kidney and liver microbial communities of five common fish species sampled from four sites along the Eastern Mediterranean Sea shoreline. The goals of the present study were to establish a baseline dataset of microbial communities associated with the tissues of wild marine fish, in order to examine species‐specific microbial characteristics and to screen for candidate pathogens. This issue is especially relevant due to the development of mariculture farms and the possible transmission of pathogens from wild to farmed fish and vice versa. Although fish were apparently healthy, 16S rRNA NGS screening identified three potential fish bacterial pathogens: Photobacterium damselae, Vibrio harveyi and Streptococcus iniae . Based on the distribution patterns and relative abundance, 16 samples were classified as potential pathogenic bacteria‐infected samples (PPBIS). Hence, PPBIS prevalence was significantly higher in kidneys than in liver samples and variation was found between the fish species. Significant differences were observed between fish species, organs and sites, indicating the importance of the environmental conditions on the fish microbiome. We applied a consistent sampling and analytical method for monitoring in long‐term surveys which may be incorporated within other marine fish pathogens surveys around the world.

Bacterial diseases of marine fish inflict significant economic damage to fisheries and aquaculture and pose an increasing risk to public health. When addressing fish disease, an accumulating body of research suggests adding another factor to the classic epidemiological triangle of host-environment-pathogen: the microbiome. The gills, being a gateway into the fish body and bearing an important role in fish homeostasis, have been found to be a proxy of the gut microbiota as well as reflecting the microbial communities of surrounding water. In this study, 16S rRNA amplicons of bacterial DNA extracted from the gills of 89 asymptomatic specimens of three wild fish species (Pagrus caeruleostictus, Scomber colias and Saurida lessepsianus) were sequenced using Next Generation Sequencing methodology (NGS). Data analyses revealed the presence of 41 potentially pathogenic species, including several zoonotic agents. Five genera known to include widespread and potentially pathogenic species were chosen for further investigation: Photobacterium, Shewanella, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and Vibrio. Of these, Photobacterium and Shewanella proved the most prevalent and abundant, making up 30.2% and 11.3% of the Bluespotted seabream (P. caeruleostictus) gill microbiome alone. Photobacterium damselae and Shewanella baltica were most common at the species level. The remaining genera - Vibrio, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus – were less prevalent, and at a species level were comprised of only 1−4% potentially pathogenic representatives. Gill microbiomes exhibited host species specificity, with strong correlations between certain bacterial taxonomic groups. No definite obligatory pathogenic bacteria were found in this study, and it was suggested that pathogenic species are present as either covert pathobionts or as opportunists of the fish found to host them.