INTRODUCTION
Over the last 2 decades, viruses of the Iridoviridae family have emerged as a major threat to the marine aquacultural industry in multiple countries, affecting both wild and freshwater ornamental fishes (Inouye et al. 1992, Bloch & Larsen 1993, Chua et al. 1994, Paperna et al. 2001). Since red seabream Pagrus major iridovirus (RSIV) was first detected in Japan in 1990 (Inouye et al. 1992), several iridoviruses have been isolated, including infectious spleen and kidney nec- rosis virus (ISKNV), largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides salmoides virus (LMBV), African lampeye