Fin rot is the phenomenon where the fins of a

fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

gradually decay and are eventually destroyed. Typically, fin rot is either a symptom of a disease, oftentimes a bacterial or fungal infection, but it can also sometimes be a disease by itself. Fin rot is most often observed in aquaria and

aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. Nelu ...

, but can also occur in natural populations. Fin rot can be the result of a

bacteria Bacteria (; : bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one Cell (biology), biological cell. They constitute a large domain (biology), domain of Prokaryote, prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micr ...

l infection ('' Pseudomonas fluorescens'', which causes a ragged rotting of the fin), or as a

fungal A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one of the tradit ...

infection (which rots the fin more evenly and is more likely to produce a white "edge"). Sometimes, both types of infection are seen together. Infection is commonly brought on by bad water conditions, injury, poor diet, stress, or as a secondary infection in a fish which is already stressed by other disease. Fin rot starts at the edge of the fins, and destroys more and more tissue until it reaches the fin base. If it does reach the fin base, the fish will never be able to regenerate the lost tissue. At this point, the disease may begin to attack the fish's body; this is called advanced fin and body rot. Fin rot is common in bettas due to poor water conditions in pet stores.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fin Rot Fish diseases