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Fish Pathology Lab (Itoh Lab)
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The lab fights infectious diseases of oysters, Manila clams, and fish, aiming for sustainable fisheries.
AboutAbout the lab
Fighting pathogens of fish and shellfish for sustainable fisheries
The Fish Pathology Lab studies infectious diseases of fish and shellfish.
Aquatic animals suffer from infectious diseases just as land animals do, and there are concerns about their adverse effects on aquaculture, fishery resources, and ecosystems.
Using field surveys, diagnosis, infection experiments, cell culture, and genetic analysis, the lab seeks solutions from the perspectives of both the pathogens and the fish and shellfish.
The lab is also particularly interested in elucidating how pathogens evade host defenses and multiply efficiently within the host.
Key terms
- Protozoan
- A tiny organism made of a single cell, with animal-like characteristics. Some live as parasites on other organisms and cause disease.
- Host
- The organism in which a parasite or pathogen lives and from which it obtains nutrients.
- Culture medium
- A liquid, agar, or similar material containing nutrients, used to grow microorganisms or cells.
NewsLab news
Paper showing differences among regional populations of Perkinsus olseni accepted
Paper showing that strains of the marine white spot disease parasite (Cryptocaryon irritans) differ in their properties accepted
Paper showing a protective effect against scuticociliatosis accepted
Paper exploring the factors that determine the host range of Perkinsus protozoan parasites accepted
ResearchResearch themes
Keeping in mind the question "How can infectious diseases of fish and shellfish be fought?", the lab pursues research on a variety of infectious diseases, seeking solutions from the perspectives of both the pathogens and the fish and shellfish. It deals with a wide range of infections, from diseases of shellfish such as oysters, Manila clams, scallops, and abalone to ciliate diseases that parasitize farmed fish.
*Illustrative imageOvarian Enlargement Disease in Pacific Oysters
A disease in which a protozoan parasite infecting the oocytes of Pacific oysters forms lump-like lesions. The lab is working to clarify how the protozoan promotes egg production in its host, and which organisms mediate infection.
*Illustrative imagePerkinsus Protozoan Parasites of Bivalves
Parasitic protozoa considered one of the causes of declining Manila clam stocks. The lab has developed a method to reproduce every stage of their life cycle in culture medium, and studies their growth characteristics and their interactions with the clams.
*Illustrative imageFrancisella Infection in Scallops
An infection discovered through joint research with research institutions in Canada and Hokkaido, which causes pus-like lesions in the adductor muscle. In cooperation with institutions in the production areas, the lab investigates the timing of outbreaks, their relationship to the marine environment, and routes of infection.
*Illustrative imageViral Diseases of Abalone
The lab studies a muscle atrophy disease that causes mass mortality during the production of juvenile abalone, examining the damage at production facilities, the movement of the causative virus, and its spread in natural waters.
MembersFaculty
The lab's members consist of faculty, administrative assistants, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorNaoki ItohPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorYuho WatanabePublications ↗
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Matoya Bay 01” Miyuki Meinaka / Public domain (cropped)
- Ovarian Enlargement Disease in Pacific Oysters: “Crassostrea gigas p1040848” David Monniaux / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Perkinsus Protozoan Parasites of Bivalves: “Ameixas do Carril - Vilagarcía de Arousa-27” Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Francisella Infection in Scallops: “Japan sea animal, Ezo giant scallop (Mizuhopecten yessoensis) ( )” harum.koh from Kobe city, Japan / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Viral Diseases of Abalone: “LivingAbalone” Sharktopus / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (水族生理学研究室): “Nihon Medaka in Medaka World of Higashiyama Zoo - 2” KKPCW / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (資源解析分野(森田研究室)): “Oncorhynchus keta” Focus Saranpat Ouilapan / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (水圏天然物化学研究室): “Katsuobushi Kagoshima” Sakurai Midori / CC BY 2.5 (cropped)
- Related lab (国際沿岸海洋研究センター・
生物資源再生分野): “Hourai Islnd in Otsuchi” Ty19080914 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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