Integrated Radiographic and Histopathological Characterization of Morphological Deformities in Farmed Rainbow Trout (<i>Oncorhynchus mykiss</i>)
FISHES, cilt.11, sa.10, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 11 Sayı: 10
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.3390/fishes11100593
- Dergi Adı: FISHES
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, Geobase, Directory of Open Access Journals, Zoological Record, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Biological Science Database (ProQuest), Earth, Atmospheric, & Aquatic Science Collection (ProQuest)
- Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Morphological and skeletal deformities compromise growth, swimming, feeding, welfare, and market value in farmed fish, but externally visible abnormalities may not reveal the underlying tissue lesions. This study characterized naturally occurring deformities in farmed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) using integrated macroscopic, radiographic, and histopathological evaluation. A total of 54 morphologically abnormal fish and one clinically normal fish were examined. Deformities were grouped by predominant external region, whole-body radiographs were evaluated for skeletal and structural abnormalities, and affected tissues were processed for routine histopathology. Caudal peduncle or tail-region deformities were most frequent (37.0%), followed by trunk/body deformities (25.9%), head-region deformities (24.1%), and specific or combined deformity patterns (13.0%). Vertebral compression was the dominant radiographic lesion (74.1%), followed by swim bladder anomalies (48.1%), contour irregularities (31.5%), combined deformity patterns (29.6%), and peduncle thickening (25.9%). Histopathology revealed ocular lesions compatible with cataract and microphthalmia, vertebral asymmetry and compression, cartilage and bone disorganization, intervertebral space loss, fibrosis, and skeletal muscle degeneration and atrophy. These findings show that visible deformities often reflect complex skeletal and soft-tissue pathology. Integrating radiography with histopathology provides a more informative framework for deformity assessment and welfare-oriented management in rainbow trout production.