Chapter 283: Foam (4)
Also known as turtle shell rot disease, this condition is surprisingly common among fish and other aquatic animals.
Commonly referred to as water mold infection, it describes fungal growths that form on injuries or parasite-damaged areas, caused by fungal spores. While the specific causative agents can vary, when this condition affects turtles, it’s known as Shell Rot.
A compound word—Shell, meaning shell, and Rot, meaning decay.
It’s a very intuitive name.
In fish, the disease manifests as visible mold or infection on the body, but in turtles, it causes literal rot of the shell.
Symptoms vary. In some cases, the entire surface of the carapace or plastron becomes thinly infected and turns whitish with rot. In more severe cases—like with Elder Geumdo—localized areas rot deeply into the shell.
Elder Geumdo had said his back began to sting before he could no longer move, so the rot was clearly deep.
It had probably started on the shell and penetrated inward, even affecting internal organs.
As I checked the extent of the damage, Hwa-eun approached while holding her nose and asked,
“So-ryong, do you know what it is?”
“Yes. This is shell rot disease—turtle shell rot.”
“This stench... it’s really from decay, isn’t it?”