Ultrastructure of the viral particles
Fig. 3 reveals that the white nodules in black rockfish were
lymphocystis lesions, evidenced by that numerous hexagonal-shaped
viral particles (diameter of 200 nm) were found in nodules. These dispersed
particles were localized in the cytoplasm of hypertrophied
cells, exhibiting a well-defined electron-lucent envelope with surfaceassociated
fibrils and an electron-dense nucleocapsid. In addition, the
viral particles displayed typical characteristics of iridovirus infection,
which were assembled and hexagonally packed into crystalline arrays.
The 200-nm viral particles consisted of three concentric layers (outer