First report of the emerging pathogenic yeast in commercially relevant fish from southeastern Brazil.

The emerging fungal pathogen () has been increasingly detected in environmental and animal samples, although studies in this regard are still scarce, especially in fisheries contexts. This study reports the first-time detection of in a commercially relevant fish species belonging to the Sciaenidae family ( sp.), indicating its potential emergence as a pathogen in Brazil. We applied CHROMagar Candida Plus medium identification associated to Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for the identification of isolates. Although only one fish specimen was shown to be contaminated by , this study provides the first evidence of this yeast circulating in commercially relevant fish species in Brazil, highlighting the potential risks associated with this emerging pathogen.