This page brings together scientific articles, conference materials, and supplementary resources related to fish disease diagnostics, aquatic animal pathology, and the analysis of aquarium systems.
Each entry includes a brief description and links to available full-text versions, supplementary data, photographs, or video materials.
Scientific Articles
2026
Clinical Manifestations and Course Patterns of Cryptocaryonosis (Cryptocaryon irritans) in Marine Fish under Aquarium Conditions
Stepankov A. P. Clinical manifestations and course patterns of cryptocaryonosis (Cryptocaryon irritans) in marine fish under aquarium conditions // Biota and Environment of Natural Areas. 2026. Vol. 14, No. 2. P. 82–90. DOI: 10.25221/2782-1978_2026_2_8.
The study examines two distinct patterns of cryptocaryonosis: a form with visible lesions on the body surface and a gill form in which external signs may be absent. It explains why the absence of white spots does not rule out severe gill involvement.
Materials on Fossa Method
Cryptocaryon irritans: Not Just White Spots
Cryptocaryon irritans. is a ciliated protozoan parasite, often visible to the naked eye. Tangs, butterflyfish, and boxfish are particularly …
Read: on the journal website · Video and supplementary materials · DOI
The Role of Length–Weight Relationships in Monitoring and Optimisation of Fish Husbandry: Experience from the Primorsky Aquarium
Stepankov A. P. The role of length–weight relationships in monitoring and optimisation of fish husbandry: experience from the Primorsky Aquarium // Biota and Environment of Natural Areas. 2026. Vol. 14, No. 2. P. 66–75. DOI: 10.25221/2782-1978_2026_2_6.
The study focuses on the use of length–weight relationships to assess fish condition in aquarium settings. It considers the limitations of small samples, interspecific differences, and the potential use of accumulated measurements for practical monitoring.
Read: on the journal website · DOI
Conference Materials
2026
Indications and Limitations for the Use of Medicinal Products in Aquarium Systems
A. P. Stepankov. Indications and limitations for the use of medicinal products in aquarium systems. International Scientific and Practical Conference “Ocean in the City”, Moskvarium Centre for Oceanography and Marine Biology, Russia, 28 February–1 March 2026.
The paper examines the methodological basis for assessing the appropriateness of pharmacological therapy in aquarium systems from an ecosystem perspective. It is shown that, in closed aquarium systems, medicinal products affect not only the fish organism but also the microbiological, chemical, and physical parameters of the environment, which substantially limits the predictability of pharmacokinetics and therapeutic effects.
The limitations of hepatoprotective and probiotic preparations under aquarium conditions are analysed, and their low effectiveness in the absence of elimination of aetiological factors and a controlled route of administration is demonstrated. Particular attention is paid to the effects of auxiliary components of tablet formulations on organic loading and the microbiological balance of the system.
The conclusion emphasises the need for a rational, diagnostically justified approach to pharmacological interventions, prioritising the correction of husbandry conditions and the maintenance of aquarium ecosystem stability.
Information: Presentation · Conference page
Read: ISTINA
2025
In Vivo Diagnostics of Fish in Aquarium Conditions: Health Monitoring and Modern Methods
A. P. Stepankov. In vivo diagnostics of fish in aquarium conditions: health monitoring and modern methods. International Scientific and Practical Conference “Ocean in the City”, 7–8 February 2025, Moskvarium Centre for Oceanography and Marine Biology, Russia.
Methods of in vivo fish diagnostics in aquarium settings are described, including skin scrapings, gill washes, and the examination of faecal samples. Procedures for sample collection, labelling, and transportation are presented, together with the use of microscopy to detect parasites, bacteria, and fungus-like organisms. The importance of regular monitoring for the early detection of pathological processes and the assessment of fish condition without euthanasia is emphasised.
Presentation · Conference page
Documenting Microprocesses as a Tool for Empirical Analysis and as an Educational Resource in Aquarium Practice and Fish Pathology
A. P. Stepankov. Documenting microprocesses as a tool for empirical analysis and as an educational resource in aquarium practice and fish pathology. In: Marine Biology in the 21st Century: Proceedings of the All-Russian Conference in Memory of Academician Alexey Viktorovich Zhirmunsky, pp. 253–255. National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, 2025.
The use of photographic and video documentation of microprocesses in aquarium practice and fish pathology is considered. Digital recording of microscopic objects and processes makes it possible to preserve visual data, compare observations over time, identify patterns, and use the resulting materials for subsequent analysis.
Particular attention is paid to documenting fish egg development, the morphological features of microscopic objects, and the microscopic appearance of pathological processes. The educational value of such materials is also discussed: they make it possible to demonstrate dynamic phenomena that are difficult to reproduce during a conventional lesson and help specialists develop observation and interpretation skills.
Digital photographs and videos can therefore serve both as an empirical basis for research and as a universal educational resource.
Flying Elephants
Flying Elephants
Why science requires more than an elegant hypothesis. The role of photographs, videos, specimens, and primary data in building and verifying …
What Counts as Evidence in the Age of Artificial Intelligence?
What Is Your Evidence?
Why photographs, videos, and polished explanations are no longer enough in the age of generative AI. A practical look at provenance, …
Read: eLibrary · Conference page
Integration of Biological and Environmental Parameters in a Database: From Routine Record-Keeping to Scientific Analysis
A. P. Stepankov. Integration of biological and environmental parameters in a database: from routine record-keeping to scientific analysis. In: Proceedings of the XIV International Scientific and Practical Conference “Marine Research and Education (MARESEDU-2025)”, Vol. III (IV), Vol. 3 of the series Proceedings of the International Scientific and Practical Conference “Marine Research and Education (MARESEDU)”, pp. 279–287. PoliPRESS LLC, 2025.
The paper presents experience in developing a universal database for the integrated recording of aquatic animals in an aquarium setting. The system combines information on animal deliveries and transfers, feeding, morphometric measurements, mortality, and environmental parameters.
Particular attention is paid to the use of standard length, the construction of aquarium-specific length–weight relationships, and the monitoring of actual feed consumption. Linking biological and environmental data makes it possible to assess population and growth dynamics, identify critical periods, adjust diets and husbandry conditions, and conduct retrospective analyses.
The integration of heterogeneous observations into a single system transforms routine record-keeping into a tool for monitoring, analysing, and predicting the condition of animals in artificial ecosystems.
Read: ISTINA · Conference page · Presentation
2024
Clinical Cases of an Atypical Form of Cryptocaryonosis
A. P. Stepankov. Clinical cases of an atypical form of cryptocaryonosis. V International Conference “The Public Aquarium in the Modern World”, Saint Petersburg, 28–30 May 2024.
Cases of atypical cryptocaryonosis in marine fish are examined in which visible white spots are absent and the principal lesions develop in the gills. An analysis of publications demonstrates how the repeated reproduction of simplified descriptions of clinical signs can cause differences between forms of the disease to remain unnoticed. The need to consider the gill form and not to restrict diagnosis to external examination alone is emphasised.
Information:
Presentation
·
Conference page ·
Materials on Fossa Method
Cryptocaryon irritans: Not Just White Spots
Cryptocaryon irritans. is a ciliated protozoan parasite, often visible to the naked eye. Tangs, butterflyfish, and boxfish are particularly …
2023
Integrated Solutions for Data Collection, Processing, and Output Used at the Primorsky Aquarium
Stepankov A. P. Integrated solutions for data collection, processing, and output used at the Primorsky Aquarium. In: Interdepartmental Collection of Scientific and Methodological Papers “Problems of Aquaculture: Aquarium Science and Aquarium Exhibitions”, Vol. 7, pp. 34–39. Aqua Logo Engineering LLC, Moscow Zoo, EARAZA, SOZAR, Moscow, 2024.
An approach to organising an integrated system for data collection, storage, and analysis in an aquarium setting is described. The integration of MariaDB, Microsoft Access, spreadsheet software, and the R programming language provides centralised information storage, access control, automated reporting, and statistical data processing.
This architecture reduces the time required to retrieve and process information, improves system flexibility, and simplifies interaction between departments.
Read: eLibrary · Conference page
See Also
Ichthyophthiriosis
Ichthyophthiriosis Without Myths
A science-based analysis of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis: life cycle, cyst terminology, the myth of parasite ubiquity, and real mechanisms …
Hexamita
Hexamitids Without Myths
Why hexamitids are not a normal component of fish intestinal microflora, where the myth of 'internal parasites' comes from, and how …
What to Do with Fish after Arrival
Initial Diagnostics After Fish Transportation
Microscopy, smears, staining methods, and common mistakes in early diagnostics.
