Retinal and lenticular lesions in vitamin‐C‐deficient juvenile red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus (L.)

Ocular pathologic findings in eyes of ascorbic acid‐deficient juvenile red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus (L.), are described. Abnormalities in the most severely affected eyes included: reduced globe size and lack of normal globe rigidity; vascular congestion and intraocular haemorrhage; lenticular lesions which included disorganization of posterior cortex, vacuolation of posterior subcapsular cortex and posterior migration of lens epithelium; and severe central retinal degeneration. The authors suspect that retinal degeneration was related to phototoxic injury, to which these fish had increased susceptibility as a result of ascorbic acid deficiency. The cause for lenticular lesions was undetermined, but may have been related directly to ascorbic acid deficiency, indirectly to retinal degeneration, or both.