Except for table and pearl oyster culture, marine aquaculture in Austr
alia has only a short history. This, together with the less intensive
culture methods which are usually employed, probably explains why rela
tively few viral diseases have been detected and even fewer are of sig
nificance, However, we predict that, as more species are brought into
aquaculture and management practices intensify, viral diseases of both
fin- and shellfish will assume greater significance. The one exceptio
n is salmonid mariculture which is based on stocks which are uniquely
free of the major, pathogenic salmonid viruses as a result of their ef
fective quarantine from northern hemisphere populations. In Australian
finfish mariculture the major pathogen is the nodavims which causes m
ass mortality in larval barmmundi (Lates calcarifer). The recent massi
ve mortality of pilchards (Sardinops sagax) is also discussed as are l
ymphocystis and a number of less important viral diseases. No viruses
of commercial significance have been detected in Australian molluscs;
although a herpesvirus infecting juvenile clams Katelysia sp. has been
a significant impediment to commercialisation of these shellfish. The
situation with shrimps is somewhat different as a new syndrome called
mid-crop mortality syndrome (MCMS) has caused major losses. This synd
rome appears to be a multifactorial disease with at least four viruses
being visualised by electronmicoscopy. Of these, two are regarded as
the most important; a parvo-like virus (spawner-isolated mortality vir
us) and a possible rhabdo-like virus (gill-associated virus) which res
embles yellowhead virus.