54 



OBSERVATIONS ON THE ACCLIMATISATION OP 

 THE TRUE SALMON (8ALM0 8ALAB), IN TAS- 

 MANIAN WATEES, AND UPON THE REPORTED 

 SALMON DISEASE AT THE BREEDING ESTAB- 

 LISHMENT ON THE RIVER PLENTY. 



By the SuPEEINTENDE2SrT AND INSPECTOR OF ElSHERIES, 



W. Saville-Kent, P.L.S., P.Z.S., Etc. 



Being unavoidably absent from the meeting of this Society 

 held on August 15th, I was unable to contribute my remarks, 

 as I should have vpillingly done, upon the subject of the 

 disease among the salmon under cultivation at the breeding 

 establishment on the River Plenty, recorded in The 

 Mercziry's report of the proceedings of the meeting, together 

 with the announcement that it had been considered desirable 

 to remit specimens to skilled zoologists and botanists in 

 Sydney to report upon its nature. The vk^ording of the 

 announcement referred to being, though j^robably uninten- 

 tionally, such as to lead the reading public to imagine that a 

 peculiar and hitherto undetermined malignant disease had 

 attacked the fish, which was quite beyond the powers of our 

 local specialists to diagnosis, I avail myself of this earliest 

 opportunity, and through the same source, of allaying the 

 public mind upon the matter. 



The disease, as I recognised immediately upon reading the 

 announcement referred to, is one prevalent among the fish to 

 a greater or less degree at every breeding season, and. is 

 caused, by the growth upon some wounded or abraded surface 

 of the fishes skin of a species of aquatic fungus, known 

 technically by the name of Saprolegnia ferax. From the 

 point first attacked the fungus gradually invades and 

 disintegrates the surrounding tissues, living at the 

 expense of and absorbing all their nutrient juices and 

 ultimately, it not eradicated, destroys the fishes life. 

 The spores or germs of this fungus are almost constantly 

 present in pond or river water and naturally germinate and 

 flourish luxuriantly upon any submerged dead or putrifying 

 animal matter. The mildew-like growth that develops upon 

 dead flies immersed in water, represents one phase of this 

 fungus, and I exhibit this evening examples of it growing on 

 pieces of dead fish and mussel, that have been purposely 

 cultivated for the occasion. Also, fragments of the felt- or 

 paper-like masses characteristic of the growth of this Sapro- 



