They do not penetrate the seed cavity of the fruit, but are superficial. As they age, the centers of the spots disintegrate and sink, and eventually form a crater. The skin of the fruit is often cracked at the edge of older spots. The water-soaked border is absent for older spots. The two diseases can be differentiated in several ways.
Bacterial spot causes larger fruit spots.
The leaf spots for bacterial spot are angular, while those for bacterial speck are round. For a definite diagnosis, place a piece of diseased tissue in a drop of water under a microscope. The speck bacteria ooze out of the tissue in a semi-gelatinous mass, the spot bacteria ooze out freely. Bacterial speck and spot might be confused with other common diseases. The symptoms of other diseases are somewhat different, though.