Official Site of The State of New Jersey
- Health of Hatchery Fish
- Health of Wild Fish
- Fish Kills
- Fish Disease Fact Sheets
- Office of Fish and Wildlife Health and Forensics
Menhaden Mortality and FAQs – May 3, 2021
Pequest Trout Hatchery Biosecurity Improvements, 2015 (pdf, 110kb)
Fish are a highly diverse group of vertebrates with over 32,000 known species that are a result of over 500 million years of evolution. For a small state, New Jersey has a rich diversity of fish species, being home to 93 freshwater species and more than 330 marine species. Along with this species richness there is an incredible diversity of microbes, including parasites, viruses, and bacteria, that infect them.
Diseases in fish are often a result of compromised environmental conditions. The fish pathology unit is a component of the Office of Fish and Wildlife Health and Forensics dedicated to understanding and responding to disease problems in New Jersey’s fisheries. Through disease surveillance and research, we study and respond to fish diseases throughout the state.
Ongoing research is directed towards understanding the health of wild fish in marine and freshwater environments throughout the state, as well as the health of the freshwater fish raised in the state fish hatcheries. Please use the links above to navigate the fish health page to learn more about our projects.
Laboratory Resources
The fish pathology laboratory is located at the Pequest Trout Hatchery outside Oxford, NJ, and close to the Hackettstown Hatchery. The laboratory is equipped to perform fish necropsies, general microbiology, parasitology, and histopathology.
For disease diagnostics staff works with the NJ Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory (NJ AHDL). The AHDL is a state-of-the-art facility equipped with molecular biology suites, a virology laboratory with cell culture facilities maintaining fish cell lines, and modern bacterial diagnostic equipment. The AHDL also provides diagnostic services in fish health for private fish hatcheries.
Collaboration with universities and other institutions and agencies is an important component of successful scientific research. This collaboration allows for the utilization of state and university resources to learn more about fish health within the state, while also providing opportunities for students to be involved in research.
RELATED PAGES
- Health Advisories for Eating Fish and Crabs Caught in NJ Waters
- “Fish Smart Eat Smart” Guide Podcast
- Harmful Algae Bloom (HAB) Advisories – Division of Water Monitoring and Standards
