Question:medium

Saprolegnia parasitica causes __________.

Show Hint

This water mold is notorious for infecting the skin, gills and eggs of freshwater fish.
Updated On: Jul 4, 2026
  • White mold disease in beans
  • Psittacosis in birds
  • Salmon disease in fishes
  • Schistosomiasis in human beings
Show Solution

The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Water molds of the genus Saprolegnia thrive in aquatic environments and are opportunistic pathogens of fish, especially when the fish is stressed, injured or kept at cool temperatures.
Step 2: Saprolegnia parasitica specifically attacks salmon and related fish species, forming visible white or grey cottony patches on the body surface and gills, a disease widely referred to as saprolegniasis or salmon disease in aquaculture.
Step 3: The other diseases listed, white mold in beans, psittacosis in birds, and schistosomiasis in humans, are caused by entirely different organisms (a different fungus, a bacterium, and a parasitic fluke respectively), none matching Saprolegnia.
The correct answer is salmon disease in fishes.
Was this answer helpful?
0