Crosses were made between a stock of summer steelhead (Salmo gairdneri) known to be resistant to infection by Ceratomyxa shasta and stocks of summer steelhead known to be susceptible. Ceratomyxosis, the disease caused by C. shasta was initiated by exposure to Willamette River water. I found that the crosses were intermediate in susceptibility to ceratomyxosis relative to the parental stocks. There was no difference in susceptibility to ceratomyxosis between reciprocal crosses of the same stocks. Persistence of moderate susceptibility in the F₂ generation of experimental stock crosses and examples from both wild and hatchery stocks of mixed ancestry indicate long term disease problems may result from introductions of less adapted, foreign stocks. / Graduation date: 1987