Reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and nested PCR methods (2-step PCR) were tested for their ability to detect marine birnavirus (MBV) in cultured rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli. One set of primers for RT-PCR was designed, based on a gene of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV), and another set of primers for nested PCR was designed based on the VP2/NS junction region of MBV. This 2-step PCR method was specific for MBV and sensitivity was heightened when nested PCR was combined to RT-PCR. This 2-step PCR method was useful for detecting MBV not only in diseased fish, but also in asymptomatic fish. These results indicate that this 2-step PCR method is useful for detecting MBV in rockfish.