I just received the full report. I will post the full report as soon as I have the chance to blur out phone numbers and e-mail addresses etc.
In the meantime, here is the summary of the findings:
"Both animals have significant gill disease, which I believe could account for death. The presumed parasite caused considerable thickening, distortion and presumed functional impairment of the gills. Based on the morphology, I think that it is most likely a Myxosporidian parasite or, less likely, an algal parasite. I have sent photographs of the organism to an aquatic pathologist for her opinion. I will update this report when I hear back.
The second ray (larger of the two) has clear evidence of sepsis (bacterial infection disseminated in the blood) based on both the gross image provided by the owner and the presence of fibrin thrombi in the gills. Tissue damage to the gills is the likely source of infection that led to systemic bacterial dissemination. The Aeromonas bacteria cultured from the gills of both rays is normally found in aquatic environments. However, this bacteria may cause mortality if it becomes disseminated in the blood as appears to have happened secondary to the primary gill disease.
Gill flukes (flat worms) are present in one of the rays (larger of the two); they are few in number and limited to the adult form. Is in my understanding that larvae of gill flukes are generally most destructive to tissue. Because most aquaria do not have the intermediate host, often a snail, perpetuation of gill fluke larvae is not an issue."
By far the saddest part of the report was photographs of the rays after they had thawed out. Not pretty.
