A normally free-living hymenostomatid ciiiate was found to be the cause of heavy infections of gills, viscera and body muscle in Atlantic and Pacific marine fishes kept in the New York Aquarium. Of special interest is the fact that the parasites, usually with food vacuoles filled with blood cells and cellular debris, caused extensive damage to the body muscle; the other infected organs showed no characteristic tissue reactions. The immediate cause of death is attributed to the exceptional load of the parasite on the gills, thus interfering with normal respiratory function.The ciliate, isolated from a recent outbreak, is described in detail, and shows many characteristics of Uronema marinum Dujardin, a species that has been reported as free-living in salt water; the form reported here differs from the type and other members included in this species, by the presence of less than three rows of bipolar meridians. This facultative parasite is described in detail and compared with other genera.

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Trophonts of Cryptocaryon irritans Brown from infected three-spot damselfish, Dascyllus trimaculatus Ruppell, were kept at temperatures ranging from 7 to 37°C to observe encystment and development of the tomites. At 30, 25 and 20^C, the percentage of trophonts that had encysted in 16 h were 70, 77 and 64% respectively; at 37^C, 44% encysted and at 7°C only 10% had encysted.The optimum temperature for excystment was 30°C; 50% excysted in 5 days and 100% in 7 days. At 25°C, 60% of the tomites started to excyst on the eighth day, and 70% on the ninth day. At 20°C, 10% started to excyst on the ninth day, reaching 40% on the tenth day. No excystment occurred at 37 and 7°C.Newly encysted tomonts were placed in various dilutions of sea water (31 %o) and kept at temperatures ranging from 7 to 37°C. Low salinities, i.e. 16%o and lower caused tomonts to rupture. At 37, 20 and TC, 35% of the tomonts started to rupture immediately in 50% sea water, while at 30 and 25 C, 30% of the tomonts ruptured in 25% seawater. However, none of the cysts developed normally at these dilutions. The percentage rupturing increased with decreasing salinity.

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