| Sphaerothecum destruens | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Class: | Ichthyosporea |
| Order: | Dermocystida |
| Family: | incertae sedis |
| Genus: | Sphaerothecum |
| Species: | S. destruens |
| Binomial name | |
| Sphaerothecum destruens Arkush et al., 2003 | |
Sphaerothecum destruens (the rosette agent) is a parasite of fish. [1] [2] It was first discovered in the United States in association with invasive species including topmouth gudgeon, but was found to be the causative agent of a disease in the UK affecting salmonid species such as Atlantic salmon and brown trout. It is thought to pose more of a risk in Europe than in the US, as native species there are more susceptible to the parasite. The disease causes high rates of morbidity and mortality in a number of different salmonid species and can also infect other UK freshwater fish such as bream, carp, and roach. [3] The genus Sphaerothecum is closely related to the genera Dermocystidium and Rhinosporidium . [2]
