Abstract

Four Cytophaga psychrophila-like strains were isolated from one eel and 3 species of cyprinids with skin lesions and signs of acute septicaemia in Nordrhein-Westfalen (Germany). The strains proved identical in their phenotypic characteristics to each other and to 3 typical strains of C. psychrophila, one of which was the type strain. The identification of the new isolates as C. psychrophila was confirmed by rapid slide agglutination tests using a specific rabbit anti-C. psychrophila serum. This is the first report of C. psychrophila being isolated from non-salmonid fishes. This pathogen, which has provoked heavy losses in rainbow trout hatcheries in France and Germany since 1984-1985, may also have the potential to become a problem for non-salmonids. As with most other bacteria pathogenic for fish, C. psychrophila shows a lack of strict host specificity.