Effect of epidermal papillomatosis on survival of the freshwater fish Rutilus rutilus

Epidermal papillomatosis occurs in several marine and freshwater fish species. Previously, papillomatosis has been shown to induce mortality in juvenile carp. We studied the effect of epidermal papillomatosis on the survival of adult male roach Rutilus rutilus by caging naturally diseased, marked (by us) fish in the field. Within the constraints of the experimental design, there was no difference in survival between healthy, slightly diseased and heavily diseased fish. Therefore, we conclude that the possible effect of epidermal papillomatosis on the mortality of wild roach is relatively minor.