FWIW, looks like you burned them with the lights to me.

Have you at any time took them outdoors on a warm day? Or have they been under lights the whole time?

They are under t8 lights, last 10 days the light is at least 3 inches above the highest one, also fan is blowing and the warmth of the lights feels very slightly when I put my hand in between. They never been outside. As I said, this is what I thought originally... The light burn. But looks like it is spreading.

Spider mites? Could you put a magnifying glass on them and see if anything shows up?

Linda

Fungus infection, perhaps? Cercospora kind of looks like that.

don't see any spider mites. Cercospora may be, but from the pictures I see online it starts with small spots, and mine just soaks and drys after that. Almost like a burn...

How are they doing? Putting out healthy new growth?

They still look strange, but holding up for now...

Difficult to say yet, but new leave edge looks affected a little bit too.

I suspect environmental damage.

Could be heat from the light.

But I suspect water stress. The leaves look very large for those size pots.

How are you watering -- how often and with what sort of systems?

The pots are actually half-gallon pots(whole height is not visible because of tray covering). Mix is compost(2)+ coir(2) + vermiculite(1)+perlite(1). I water as needed with room temperature filtered water when finger doesn't feel soil wet when in the soil about 1-1 1/2 inch deep. The leaves are actually smaller then on another kind(left on the picture), that was not affected at all by the issue. The set up looks like this:

Lights are on for 14 hours, the window is south-east facing . Lights are adjustable, and damage started when lights where at least 3 inches above the leaves. In any case, if it is light damage, one on the left should be affected too, as they are even close to the light... But it didn't happen. Not affected is Hansel Hybrid. Affected Dusky. I too think it is environmental , but puzzled what factor...

Those plants are big... when is your ETA transplant date? Do you have a cold frame or something?

I set up heated portable greenhouse with insulated floor on my deck around April 15. They usually go to the ground in last decade of May, but this year they go before May 19, as I have to leave on 19th...

I doubt they will be able to stay in those small pots until May 19, eggplants need to be watered well, you might want to repot them when you build your greenhouse

They do it fine every year. This is my 6th year doing it this way. At the end they may need to be watered twice a day and fertilized often , but I work from home and it is not a problem for me.I usually start picking eggplants at the middle of June, and pick until October. Never was short on them yet)

What kind of eggplants are they? I am growing Hansel and Galine and they both did great for me last year.

They are Hansel and Dusky. Dusky I first started last year - I liked it, they are normal size, not slim. It is a little less of fruit on them then on Hansel, but the fruit is bigger. It is nice to have both - Hansel for everyday eating, they never end, and Dusky for canning and freezing. Also at the end of the summer Hansel start to produce too many strange, golden-purple colored and hard fruit, that are basically not eatable. Still didn't figure out what it is. And Dusky was just fine till frost. Thank you, Peter, for the tip - checked Galine in curiosity (we are namesakes)) and it seems very promising. Will try it next year.

Yes, I was very happy with the Galine, got nice full sized fruits.

I also found the Hansel got weird at the end of the season, hard and inedible, I just assumed I left it on the vine too long.

I don't think it is time related... Some of the fruit start that way from 1 inch long. Also, there is some leave damage too at the end, some times whole branch dries out... I think it is some kind of disease, but because by the time they got it, eggplants already coming out of my ears, I never spend to much time on identifying it...

I haven't grown any Eggplant for the last 3 years as I am the only one that likes it at my house but I can second Peter's recommendation of Galine. It did very well both of the years that I grew it with no issues other than a bazillion holes in the leaves from flea beetles. I still have a few seeds left and might give it another try next year now that I have expanded my garden (again!).

I had what appeared to be verticillium wilt issues with my eggplants (and okra), but they bounce back and keep producing anyway. I am going to try a few plants in pots this year.