E. pisciphila forms symbiotic relationships with various plants by colonizing on roots, conferring resistance to drought and heavy metal stress.

In 1969, Nikola Fijan first described a systemic mycosis outbreak in channel catfish from a pond in Alabama and identified it as Exophiala salmonis.

[3] Exophiala pisciphila is commonly found in soil,[4] plants[5] and water[6] in North America, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and Australia.

[14] Due to its variable growth forms and the dark pigmentation of its cell walls, it is considered a member of the descriptive grouping of similar fungi known as the black yeasts.

[14] E. pisciphila forms slow growing colonies approximately 20–35 millimetres (0.79–1.38 in) in size which is similar to other species in the genus, E. salmonis and E.

[15] Optimal growth occurs on PDA and MA with the most aerial hyphae forming dome shaped colonies.

[8] One case of human disease was reported in Brazil where a person undergoing immunosuppressive therapy for a liver transplant developed a skin infection.

[18] This fungus is pathogenic to an array of aquatic animals most notably freshwater and seawater fish in which infection is associated with the development of skin lesions and nodules on visceral organs.

[22] Infections of sharks, rays and skates are typically associated with severe tissue damage especially necrosis of the spleen and gills.

[8] E. pisciphila has been implicated as a minor egg pathogen due to its ability to infect a small number of nematode larvae.

[26][27] A novel fungal metabolite, Exophilic acid, has been isolated which acts as an inhibitor of HIV-1 integrase, an enzyme critical for replication and spread of HIV virus.