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Are all brachyuran crabs found in the intertidal zone intermediate hosts for digenean parasites?

Grace Crocker, Alexander T. Bedford, Andrew Rowley, Charlotte Davies Orcid Logo

Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, Volume: 214, Start page: 108439

Swansea University Authors: Grace Crocker, Andrew Rowley, Charlotte Davies Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1016/j.jip.2025.108439

Abstract

Digenean trematodes with complex life cycles often use marine crabs as intermediate hosts, but their distribution across crab species is not fully understood. Previous reports of Microphallus similis in edible crabs (Cancer pagurus) relied on morphological identification, leaving potential for misid...

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Published in: Journal of Invertebrate Pathology
ISSN: 0022-2011
Published: Elsevier BV 2026
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70251
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spelling 2025-09-29T15:36:52.7795024 v2 70251 2025-09-01 Are all brachyuran crabs found in the intertidal zone intermediate hosts for digenean parasites? 736ff650757a7d02f89982317bc3bbe9 Grace Crocker Grace Crocker true false e98124f6e62b9592786899d7059e3a79 Andrew Rowley Andrew Rowley true false a0febe211e502356dad1dab51a43761c 0000-0002-5853-1934 Charlotte Davies Charlotte Davies true false 2025-09-01 BGPS Digenean trematodes with complex life cycles often use marine crabs as intermediate hosts, but their distribution across crab species is not fully understood. Previous reports of Microphallus similis in edible crabs (Cancer pagurus) relied on morphological identification, leaving potential for misidentification. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, identity, and host range of digenean parasites in intertidal brachyuran crabs from South Wales, U.K. Over six months, crabs were collected from two rocky shore sites and examined for metacercariae in the hepatopancreas. Parasites were morphologically assessed and identified by sequencing the 28S rDNA region. Metacercariae were found exclusively in juvenile C. pagurus, with ∼ 30 % prevalence and low individual burdens ranging from 1 to 69 cysts. All sequenced parasites were confirmed as M. similis. No infections were detected in Necora puber, Xantho pilipes, or X. hydrophilus. Logistic regression indicated that infection prevalence in C. pagurus varied significantly with month and crab size. This study provides the first molecular confirmation of M. similis in edible crabs from the U.K. and highlights species-specific susceptibility linked to differences in ecology and feeding behaviour. The absence of infection in co-occurring crabs suggests that C. pagurus plays a uniquely important role in the parasite’s transmission cycle in intertidal environments. Journal Article Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 214 108439 Elsevier BV 0022-2011 Digenean, brachyuran crabs, Microphallus similis, edible crab, velvet swimming crab 1 2 2026 2026-02-01 10.1016/j.jip.2025.108439 COLLEGE NANME Biosciences Geography and Physics School COLLEGE CODE BGPS Swansea University SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal) UKRI (BB/P017215/1) 2025-09-29T15:36:52.7795024 2025-09-01T15:57:06.3205576 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences Grace Crocker 1 Alexander T. Bedford 2 Andrew Rowley 3 Charlotte Davies 0000-0002-5853-1934 4 70251__35199__3ccb04bbb6c740a9acd659227523f3a1.pdf 70251.VoR.pdf 2025-09-29T15:35:01.3846470 Output 6954212 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2025 The Authors. This is an open access article under the CC BY license. true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title Are all brachyuran crabs found in the intertidal zone intermediate hosts for digenean parasites?
spellingShingle Are all brachyuran crabs found in the intertidal zone intermediate hosts for digenean parasites?
Grace Crocker
Andrew Rowley
Charlotte Davies
title_short Are all brachyuran crabs found in the intertidal zone intermediate hosts for digenean parasites?
title_full Are all brachyuran crabs found in the intertidal zone intermediate hosts for digenean parasites?
title_fullStr Are all brachyuran crabs found in the intertidal zone intermediate hosts for digenean parasites?
title_full_unstemmed Are all brachyuran crabs found in the intertidal zone intermediate hosts for digenean parasites?
title_sort Are all brachyuran crabs found in the intertidal zone intermediate hosts for digenean parasites?
author_id_str_mv 736ff650757a7d02f89982317bc3bbe9
e98124f6e62b9592786899d7059e3a79
a0febe211e502356dad1dab51a43761c
author_id_fullname_str_mv 736ff650757a7d02f89982317bc3bbe9_***_Grace Crocker
e98124f6e62b9592786899d7059e3a79_***_Andrew Rowley
a0febe211e502356dad1dab51a43761c_***_Charlotte Davies
author Grace Crocker
Andrew Rowley
Charlotte Davies
author2 Grace Crocker
Alexander T. Bedford
Andrew Rowley
Charlotte Davies
format Journal article
container_title Journal of Invertebrate Pathology
container_volume 214
container_start_page 108439
publishDate 2026
institution Swansea University
issn 0022-2011
doi_str_mv 10.1016/j.jip.2025.108439
publisher Elsevier BV
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
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hierarchy_top_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences
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description Digenean trematodes with complex life cycles often use marine crabs as intermediate hosts, but their distribution across crab species is not fully understood. Previous reports of Microphallus similis in edible crabs (Cancer pagurus) relied on morphological identification, leaving potential for misidentification. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, identity, and host range of digenean parasites in intertidal brachyuran crabs from South Wales, U.K. Over six months, crabs were collected from two rocky shore sites and examined for metacercariae in the hepatopancreas. Parasites were morphologically assessed and identified by sequencing the 28S rDNA region. Metacercariae were found exclusively in juvenile C. pagurus, with ∼ 30 % prevalence and low individual burdens ranging from 1 to 69 cysts. All sequenced parasites were confirmed as M. similis. No infections were detected in Necora puber, Xantho pilipes, or X. hydrophilus. Logistic regression indicated that infection prevalence in C. pagurus varied significantly with month and crab size. This study provides the first molecular confirmation of M. similis in edible crabs from the U.K. and highlights species-specific susceptibility linked to differences in ecology and feeding behaviour. The absence of infection in co-occurring crabs suggests that C. pagurus plays a uniquely important role in the parasite’s transmission cycle in intertidal environments.
published_date 2026-02-01T05:32:09Z
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