Observations of pigmented foci
and skin ulcers in silver porgy in the
St. Lucie Estuary

This webpage links to photographs of gross pathology observations taken from silver porgy (Diplodus argenteus) collected from St. Lucie Estuary collection sites 5 and 10, March 24, 2011. Orange colored foci are not uncommonly observed on silver porgy in the St. Lucie during certain seasonal collections. Anecdotal evidence suggests that pigmented foci may be associated to the pathogenesis of ulcerative lesions.

Links to 7 cases that typify the range and presentation of pigmented foci seen from this recent collection are linked below, right.

The St. Lucie River is located in Southeast Florida and is fed from freshwater surface input as well as the Atlantic Ocean. This biologically diverse estuarine system is an essential component of the environmental and economic well-being of Martin, St. Lucie, and surrounding counties. The St. Lucie Estuary ecosystem is threatened by increasing residential and commercial development, industry and agriculture, and human negligence. Construction of extensive agricultural and urban drainage projects has substantially expanded the watershed of the St. Lucie Estuary. Effects of these man-made changes have caused significant alterations in the timing (excess wet season flows, insufficient dry season flows), distribution, quality, and volume of freshwater entering the estuary.