Thyroid Disease of Fishes

Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2025 Jan;28(1):193-207. doi: 10.1016/j.cvex.2024.07.011. Epub 2024 Oct 15.

Abstract

The paraphyletic group referred to as fishes represents several extant and extinct classes that demonstrate the greatest diversity and abundance of any of the vertebrates on the Earth. Anatomically and physiologically, the systems of fish are comparable to those of other vertebrates and the thyroid and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis are no exceptions. This article reviews the current literature on thyroid endocrinology of elasmobranch and teleost fishes with an emphasis on relevance to clinical management and highlights some of the anatomic and physiologic differences of the HPT axis in fishes.

Keywords: Elasmobranch; Goiter; Hypothyroidism; Iodine; Teleost; Thyroid.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Fish Diseases* / parasitology
  • Fishes*
  • Thyroid Diseases* / diagnosis
  • Thyroid Diseases* / veterinary
  • Thyroid Gland