The susceptibility of five different marine fish to iridovirus IVS-1 infection was analyzed and found a higher the cumulative mortality in the order of rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus), red sea bream (Pagrus major), sea perch (Lateolabrax sp.), rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) and black porgy (Acanthopagrus schlegeli). However, the concentrations of virus in the infected spleens of these species did not differ significantly. To determine the release of iridovirus from infected fish into culturing seawater, rock bream were challenged with iridovirus IVS-1 and the concentration of virus in the water was analyzed using PCR. Over the 10 days of the analysis, the linear relationship between the number of dead fish and viral DNA concentration found in culturing seawater should be considered direct evidence of horizontal iridovirus transmission.