Data on age and growth of the bluemouth Helicolenus dactylopterus (Delaroche, 1809) from the Southern central Mediterranean Sea are provided in this paper. Ages of bluemouth rockfish (Scorpaenidae) in the northern Tunisian waters were estimated by otolith readings and verified by marginal increment analysis. A total of 513 individuals were measured, weighed and their sex was determined. The fish total length (TL) range between 8 and 30.6 cm, which corresponded to individuals between 0 to 9 years old. The otoliths showed the typical teleost fish pattern with alternated opaque and hyaline rings. Marginal increment analysis of specimens suggested that a single annulus was formed each year. The Von Bertalanffy growth function was selected as the most adequate model to fit this species' growth. Parameters of the growth curve were L∞ =37.17cm, K=0.142year -1 , t0= -1.67years. The weight-length relationship (TW= 2.2092 x10 -5 TL 2.870 ) described a negative allometric growth of the species. The growth parameters obtained from the age-length relationships showed higher differences between sexes.

The results of the present study describe the molecular identifi cation of Lymphocystis Disease Viral partial genome (LCDV-Sa) and histopathology in skin nodules and internal organs of Tunisian gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata). The report supports as well as the existence of multiple reservoirs of LCDV within wild fi sh species caught near the cage facility; delivering a list of possible vector species susceptible to transmit the disease to farmed sea bream. Histology sections revealed irregular nucleus with basophilic cytoplasmic inclusions. In addition, to the best of our knowledge, molecular results added new viral reservoirs to the list of susceptible fi sh species described worlwide, including Sardinella aurita, Sardina pilchardus, Trachurus trachurus, Sarpa salpa, Diplodus vulgaris, Diplodus puntazzo, Liza aurata, Sparus aurata, Diplodus anularis, and Spicara maena. The virus detection was not correlated with neither the fi sh species nor the sampling temperature which varied between 15°C and 25°C. Partial sequence analysis of the MCP gene indicated that the newly identifi ed LCDV strains were clustered within genotype VII and shared 96-100% of sequence identity with previously identifi ed Tunisian LCDV sequences from farmed sea bream.