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Mycosis Is a Disease State Encountered Rarely in Shore Crabs, Carcinus maenas
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Sophie Malkin,
Jessica Thomas,
Frederico Batista,
Andrew Rowley,
Christopher Coates
Pathogens, Volume: 9, Issue: 6, Start page: 462
Swansea University Authors:
Charlotte Davies , Sophie Malkin, Jessica Thomas, Frederico Batista, Andrew Rowley, Christopher Coates
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DOI (Published version): 10.3390/pathogens9060462
Abstract
There is a paucity of knowledge regarding the diversity and impact(s) of disease-causing fungi in marine animals, especially shellfish. In efforts to address this knowledge gap for the shore crab Carcinus maenas, a year-long disease screen was carried out across two sites in Swansea Bay (Wales, UK)...
| Published in: | Pathogens |
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| ISSN: | 2076-0817 |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020
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| Online Access: |
Check full text
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa54422 |
| Abstract: |
There is a paucity of knowledge regarding the diversity and impact(s) of disease-causing fungi in marine animals, especially shellfish. In efforts to address this knowledge gap for the shore crab Carcinus maenas, a year-long disease screen was carried out across two sites in Swansea Bay (Wales, UK) with a view to characterising putative fungal infections. Crabs were sampled between November 2017 and October 2018, and screened systematically for disease signatures using haemolymph (blood) preparations, targeted PCR and tissue histopathology. Strikingly, mycosis was confirmed in ~0.4% of total crabs tested (n = 1191) and restricted to one location only (Mumbles Pier). Clinical infections were observed in four out of four infected crabs. In these animals, the gills and hepatopancreas were congested with fungal morphotypes. In addition, some evidence indicates haemocyte (immune cell) reactivity toward the fungi. Phylogenetic placement of the partial internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) gene regions amplified from three mycotic crabs revealed the causative agent to be related to hypocrealean fungi, thereby representing a novel species. |
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| Keywords: |
marine fungi; phylogeny; histopathology; parasite; disease connectivity; fisheries |
| College: |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| Funders: |
Operations were part-funded by the European Regional Development fund through the Ireland Wales Cooperation Programme, BLUEFISH, awarded to CJC and AFR. |
| Issue: |
6 |
| Start Page: |
462 |