Esocid Lymphosarcoma

[Bob_D]

Do you guys have any issues with this in your area? Here on Lake Champlain (Vermont) we see it on northern pike but not on pickerel. It's hard on the pike but not normally fatal, but it is a VERY bad thing for muskie. I believe I have seen some info from MN F&W, but I don't remember ever seeing it on any forums. Here is a fact sheet from the VT Dept of F&W and a few pictures that I have taken showing the stages of the disease.

Fact Sheet:

http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/library/factsheets/fisheries/fish_health/Esocid_Lymphosarcoma.pdf

Stage where tumors are formed. This occurs in the mid-late winter/early spring.

This stage is when the tumors are in the healing process. Sometimes this can be mistaken for things like lamprey hits or in this case maybe boat prop damage. About 50%+ of our pike caught this weekend had similar wounds.

This is a healed wound. It's pretty easy to spot due to the disruption in the scale pattern.I don't remember seeing fish with both new and healed wounds, so I'm not sure if they built up antibodies and won't have issues again or if I just have not paid close enough attention.

I'm still trying to collect data to help understand what is going on.

[Spork]

Wow, that would be a terrible thing to see on a fish.

[38poundbeauty]

On a side note, those are some high quality pictures! Nice camera!

[Random guy]

YUCK!

I have seen that out east but not so much in the midwest.

[mntraveler]

I'm not sure of the acutal disease name, but on my inlaw's lake in Hayward (Nelson) there is a similar looking problem with the northerns. I believe the WI DNR has addressed the problem and plans on letting it run its course but advises against eating the infected pike.

[Bob_D]

Quote:

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...... but advises against eating the infected pike.

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You would not have to tell me even once.

38PB...Thanks. I lose some quality when I drop the resolutiion to make then internet friendly. I'm hoping to get a better camera next year.

[delmuts]

those tumors are gross!! but thanks for sharing and it is very interesting . i have seen marks like that on northern, but always thought it was from a prop! and i agree! great pics.!

[RK]

Hiya -

Lovely stuff isn't it? Lymphosarcoma is actually fairly common throughout the range of muskies and pike. It has probably been around for as long as pike and muskies have been around. It's spread by contact, so is most often transmitted during the spawn. As the photos (which are very cool) show, it's by no means fatal. According to some of the biologists I've asked about it, outbreaks pop up from lake to lake every so often, but they aren't sure why exactly - likely temperature or water conditions related.

A few years back there was an article in a muskie publication in which the author actually recommended that fish caught with Lympho be kept - it was bad advice to say the least. Mortality is higher with muskies, but it's by no means a sure thing, and keeping a fish won't help a thing.

And yeah - nasty stuff to look at when it's an active infection. I found a big pike about 17 years ago on Lake Wabedo that was covered with lesions from Lympho. Some of the lesions were the size of baseballs. Pretty gross.

cheers,

Rob Kimm