Behavior of Rocinela angustata (Isopoda,Aegidae), an Ectoparasite of Alaskan Marine Fishes

Abstract

Observations were made on the feeding and host selection behavior of the aegid isopod Rocinela angustata. Host susceptibility was assessed by placing isopods into laboratory tanks containing 14 common species of Alaska marine fishes. Five species of Sebastes and Blepsias bilobus were attacked within a few minutes of the introduction. Five species—Enophrys bison, Eumicrotremus orbis, Hexagrammos lagocephalus, Pleuronectes asper, and Pholis laeta—were attacked 10–24 h after introduction of the isopods. Three species—Podothecus acipenserinus, Liparis gibbus, and Lycodes brevipes—were not successfully attacked, even when held in isolation with an isopod for 14 d. Starved isopods isolated with B. bilobus attached to fish within 1 h and remained attached 4–14 d. The isopods reattached 1–4 d after detachment. Isopod digestive tracts cleared within 24 h after detachment.     

Some Copepod and Isopod Parasites of Bermuda Marine Fishes

Abstract

Three species are added to the depauperate parasite fauna of Bermuda: Caligus balistae, Lernanthropus talipes, and Alcirona insularis. The latter, normally a rare associate, seems to thrive on groupers (Serranidae) in captivity. An offshore record for Nerocila lanceolata on ocean triggerfish Canthidermis sufflamen contrasts with its known nearshore occurrence. A new host record is noted for each of four parasites occurring in Bermuda: Caligus balistae, A. insularis, Cymothoa oestrum, and N. lanceolata     

New Host and Locality Records for Copepod and Isopod Parasites of Colombian Marine Fishes

Abstract

Two copepods and three isopods, representing five families of Crustacea, are noted from ten hosts, eight of these representing new host records. Cardiodectes rubosus (Copepoda: Pennellidae) is reported from the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. Excorallana tricornis (Isopoda: Corallanidae) may be a more important fish parasite than previously thought.     

Inshore small-mesh trawling survey of the Cape south coast. Part 5. Crustacea,Stomatopoda, Isopoda and Decapoda

Forty-six species of Crustacea from the shallow marine waters of the southern Cape coast are listed. Five new records for the area are dealt with, of which two are described as new species. These include a sphaeromatid isopod Cymodoce davleae and a dromiid crab Cryptodromia hirsutimana.     

Distribution of the portunid crab Ovalipes punctatus (De Haan) in Algoa Bay and salinity and temperature tolerances of its zoeae

The three-spot swimming crab Ovalipes punctatus is commonly found in surf zones off sandy beaches in Algoa Bay. It is exclusively marine and occurs down to a depth of 38 m. Large crabs were found close inshore while smaller crabs were predominantly found in deeper water, suggesting that settlement mainly occurs offshore in water 25 – 38 m deep. Gravid females were found closer inshore in shallow water. The zoeae could not tolerate high temperatures (>27,5 °C) or low salinities (<15‰). The optimal temperatures and salinities for survival of the zoeae were 15–22 °C and 34–35‰ respectively.     

The Ecology of Patella From the Cape Peninsula South Africa

Forty-six species were recorded in association with Patella spp., but most of these are casual associates, seeking temporary shelter. The shell surface offers an important substrate for algae.

The amphipod Hyale grandicornis is often associated with Patella, particularly in the juvenile stages. It is a facultative inquiline which vacates its hosts at high tide. The isopods Dynamenella australis and D. scabricula are predominantly associated with limpets and complete their life cycles under limpets. Choice chamber experiments demonstrate their preference for sheltering under limpets. The copepod Scutellidium patellarum is similar, but the association is more marked.

Calliopiella michaelseni (Amphipoda) is commensal and show a preference for certain limpet species. Its colour changes in relation to the host species. Feeding occurs on limpet faeces and algal fragments. The life cycle is completed under the limpet, two reproductive peaks occurring each year. Adults usually occur in pairs and there is a positive correlation between host and amphipod size. Juveniles remain with their parents initially, and then disperse to other limpets. Adult pairs may defend their host, excluding other amphipods. Calliopiella is strongly photonegative and thigmotactic.

The turbellarian Notoplanapatellarum is preferentially commensal with Patella oculus. This can be experimentally demonstrated. It feeds on small Crustacea, including Scutellidium.     

Proliferative Gill Disease of Fish from the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway,Mississippi

Abstract

Proliferative gill disease (PGD), a condition not previously reported in wild fish, was found in two channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus sampled from the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway in Mississippi during June and July 1989. The parasite thought to cause PGD was observed in only one of the fish, but the distinctive lesions associated with this disease were prominent in both of the channel catfish. Organisms resembling the PGD parasite were also found in the gills of 4 of 18 largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides and 6 of 20 bluegills Lepomis macrochirus, but there was little or no host response to these parasites.     

A note on the diet and feeding selectivity of juvenile riverbream,Acanthopagrus berda (Forskal, 1775), in a subtropical mangrove creek

The diet and food selectivity of juvenile (< 100 mm S.L.) Acanthopagrus berda were investigated in Beachwood creek, north of Durban. Fish and benthic samples were taken from November 1986 to September 1987. The diet of juvenile A. berda was varied but crustaceans, mainly amphipods, were the dominant prey item. Ivlev's (1961) electivity index revealed a positive selection for amphipods, tanaids and fish scales.     

Survey of Salmonid Pathogens in Ocean-Caught Fishes in British Columbia,Canada

Abstract

A survey of wild fishes captured around marine net-pen salmon farms and from open waters for certain salmonid pathogens was conducted in the coastal waters of British Columbia. Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus was detected in Pacific herring Clupea pallasi, shiner perch Cymatogaster aggregata, and threespine sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus. Infectious hematopoietic necrosis (IHN) virus was detected in one Pacific herring (collected well away from the farms) and in tube-snouts Aulorhynchus flavidus and shiner perch collected from a farm experiencing an IHN outbreak. Renibacterium salmoninarum was observed in moribund Pacific hakes Merluccius productus collected from within a net-pen and was also detected in several ocean-caught salmon. Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida (typical strain) was isolated from a juvenile chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, whereas the atypical strain of this organism was isolated from a lingcod Ophiodon elongatus. Loma salmonae (Microsporea) was observed in chinook salmon, chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta, coho salmon O. kisutch, sockeye salmon O. nerka, and pink salmon O. gorbuscha, all of which were captured well away from net-pens. Loma spp. (Microsporea) were observed in the gills of shiner perch, lingcod, Pacific tomcod Microgadus proximus, Pacific cod Gadus macrocephalus, walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma, and sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria; all but the first species represent new hosts for Loma. Epitheliocystis, caused by a chlamydia-like organism, was detected in the gills of chinook salmon, chum salmon, coho salmon, pink salmon, lingcod, Pacific cod, Pacific hakes, Pacific tomcod, walleye pollock, sablefish, shiner perch, Dover soles Microstomus pacificus, Pacific sanddabs Citharichthys sordidus, and various species of rockfish Sebastes spp., most of which represent new host records for this infection.     

The Gill Pathogen Dermocystidium salmonis in Oregon Salmonids

Abstract

Intense infections of the gill pathogen Dermocystidium salmonis were associated with mortality of prespawning chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in several Oregon rivers in 1988. The occurrence of the pathogen in returning adult chinook salmon was monitored in several coastal Oregon stocks from 1989 to 1993. Although the prevalence of the pathogen was high in these fish (up to 66.6%), infection intensities were generally low, and no mortality attributable to D. salmonis was observed. In 1988, the pathogen was associated with a lethal epizootic among juvenile chinook salmon smolts at the Trask State Fish Hatchery near Tillamook, Oregon. Histological examination of gills from heavily infected fish revealed hyperplasia of gill epithelium and fusion of gill lamellae. When naturally infected smolts were transferred from fresh to salt water, the most heavily infected fish died within 10 d, and the number of D. salmonis cysts declined and disappeared from previously infected salmon after 21–42 d.     

Biology of Hymenosoma Orbiculare Desm in Lake Sibaya

Hymenosoma orbiculare, (Crustacea: Brachyura: Hymenosomatidae) a crab common in estuaries in south- and south east Africa occurs in freshwater in Lake Sibaya at depths down to 40 m. This is the only known freshwater record of this species. The population density in the lake is fairly uniform declining in shallow and very deep water with an a11erage- of 2,5 m^-2 (134 Jm^-2). The proportion of females in the population increases with depth. Females carry fewer eggs than estuarine populations and breeding appears to occur throughout the year. Both zoeae and adults differ morphologically from estuarine populations. These differences in breeding, biology and morphology raise the possibility that the Lake Sibaya population is specifically distinct from estuarine populations and this is discussed in relation to other instances of hymenosomatid invasion of freshwater habitats.     

Effect of Pollution on Fish Diseases: Potential Impacts on Salmonid Populations

Abstract

Anthropogenic factors have contributed to the precipitous decline of wild Pacific salmon stocks, although the mechanisms and processes at work are largely unknown. Pollution may be one of these factors. Sediments in estuaries are known to act as repositories for contaminants, and estuaries are important habitats for ocean- and river-migrating salmon. We have shown that juvenile salmon Oncorhynchus spp. and their prey bioaccumulate chlorinated hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons—important classes of toxic xenobiotics. Furthermore, we have shown that exposure to these pollutants can lead to immunosuppression and increased disease susceptibility in juvenile salmon. Whether pollution influences natural disease outbreaks in host populations, including salmon, is currently unknown. It is postulated that the occurrence of disease depends on the interaction of the host, the environment, and the pathogen. Absence of pathogens would reduce the potential for adverse environments to influence disease outbreaks. However, a recent reconnaissance survey of juvenile chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha from Oregon coastal rivers revealed that pathogens were an integral component in all systems studied, although the prevalence of the pathogens varied. Furthermore, recent studies of natural fish populations have demonstrated that infectious-disease-induced mortality can significantly reduce the size of the host population. By creating adverse environments (e.g., polluted estuaries) which alter the susceptibility of the host to pathogens that are integral and ubiquitous components of the habitat, pollution increases the probability of disease-related impacts on fish populations.     

Efficacy of Hydrogen Peroxide to Control Parasitic Infestations on Hatchery-Reared Fish

Abstract

The efficacy of hydrogen peroxide to control external parasitic infestations on juvenile (10–33-g) rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss was evaluated in three clinical field trials. Fish were exposed to hydrogen peroxide concentrations ranging from 0 to 560 mg/L for 30 min once every other day for a total of three treatments. Pre- and posttreatment skin scrapes and gill wet mounts of test fish were microscopically examined to identify and enumerate external parasites. Infestation severity was classified as nonexistent (0 organisms), low (1–10 organisms), moderate (11–20 organisms), or high (?21 organisms). In trial 1, pretreatment skin examinations revealed a severe infestation of the protozoan Ambiphrya on all fish examined. Posttreatment skin examinations conducted within 24 h of the last treatment indicated that all hydrogen peroxide treatments eliminated Ambiphrya, whereas control fish remained severely infested with the protozoan. In trial 2, pretreatment examinations of skin and gill samples indicated a high infestation of the trematode Gyrodactylus (skin) and the protozoan Trichodina (gills) on all fish. Posttreatment examinations conducted within 24 h of the last treatment indicated that Gyrodactylus was eliminated from the skin of all treated fish; however, the high infestation of Trichodina remained on the gills of the test fish. All control fish had high infestation levels of both parasites. A high infestation of Ambiphrya was found on the skin of test fish before treatment (trial 3). Posttreatment examinations conducted 14 d after the last treatment revealed that 56% of the fish were parasite free, whereas the remaining test fish had low infestation levels. Control fish remained severely infested with the parasite. Based on the efficacy data, all hydrogen peroxide treatment regimens were efficacious in the control of Ambiphrya and Gyrodactylus.     

Effect of Indomethacin on the Development of Proliferative Gill Disease

Abstract

After parenteral treatment with the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin, channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus were exposed to mature spores of an Aurantiactinomyxon sp. demonstrated to be the etiological agent of proliferative gill disease (PGD). Fish that received indomethacin at a dose of 2.0 or 5.0 mg/kg body weight within 0.5 h before exposure to the myxozoan and again at 24 h postexposure had significantly (P < 0.05) less severe gill lesions 7 d after exposure than fish that received the drug vehicle alone. Fish that received 0.5 mg indomethacin/kg had moderately severe lesions. All fish were confirmed to be infected with the organism associated with PGD by microscopic examination of gills 4 or 7 d postexposure. These results suggest that products of the cyclooxygenase pathway (e.g., prostaglandins) participate in the pathophysiologic host response to PGD.     

Ontogenetic resource use and trophic dynamics of endangered juvenile Tachypleus tridentatus among diversified nursery habitats in the northern Beibu Gulf,China

Horseshoe crabs, the most well-known example of “living fossils”, are iconic and ecologically important macroinvertebrates in coastal and estuarine ecosystems. Their blood is a crucial resource for manufacturing Limulus or Tachypleus amebocyte lysate to detect bacterial endotoxins or fungal contamination in drug and medical devices. An enhanced understanding of their ecological roles and trophic interactions in the food webs is fundamental to facilitate resource management for the declining populations in Asia. Foraging information of the Asian species, however, is mainly derived from preliminary, scattered reports from a limited number of study locations. In this study, resource utilization, trophic niche dynamics, and trophic interaction of the juvenile tri-spine horseshoe crab, Tachypleus tridentatus (instars 1–12, approximately 0.5–8 years old) across ontogeny was assessed in diversified nursery habitats along the northern Beibu Gulf, China, using carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes. Our results suggest that: (i) T. tridentatus are ecological generalists given the vast range of carbon isotopic values and trophic niche width estimates exhibited between multiple instar groups; (ii) juvenile T. tridentatus across most habitat types predominantly assimilated energy from a variety of basal production sources in the food web, but primarily depended on sedimentary organic matter and seagrass resource pools; (iii) ontogenetic shifts in juvenile dietary proportions were evident, with decreased reliance on sedimentary organic matter, coupled with increased reliance on benthic macroinvertebrate grazers, detritivores, and omnivores with age; and (iv) nearly all juvenile instars occupied similar trophic positions in the food web with slight shifts in trophic position present with increasing size. Our findings indicate that resource availability and ontogenetic diet shifts strongly influence horseshoe crab trophic dynamics, and age should be accounted when formulating habitat conservation measures based on resource use for Asian horseshoe crabs.     

Mode of Transmission of Vibriosis among Ayu Plecoglossus altivelis

Abstract

The mode of transmission of Vibrio anguillarum infection in ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis) and the portal of entry for the pathogen were investigated by the use of various challenge methods. The methods employed were immersion, direct contact, cohabitation, patch contact (filter paper soaked in bacterial suspension placed on part of a test fish for 1 min), and intubation. Based on the results of immersion, direct contact, and cohabitation challenges, it was concluded that water-borne infection is the primary mode of transmission of the disease. The patch contact challenge revealed that V. anguillarum penetrated the host through the skin, fins, anus, and gills. Among those, the skin and anus were determined to be the essential portals of entry for the pathogen. Artificial wounds of the skin surface caused by swabbing or scale removal facilitated invasion by the pathogen. Infection also was established by oral and anal intubations.     

Clinical and Pathological Effects of the Polyopisthocotylean Monogenean,Gamacallum macroura in White Bass

Abstract

An aquaculture research facility experienced high mortality rates in white bass Morone chrysops associated with a monogenean infestation of the gills, but not in striped bass Morone saxatilis in the same facility. All mortalities had pale gills. Monogeneans, identified as Gamacallum macroura (MacCallum and MacCallum 1913) Unnithan 1971, were found on the gills. Pale-gilled and healthy white bass were selected with no particular attention to condition for venipuncture and euthanasia for postmortem examination, including parasite counts from gills. The median packed cell volume (PCV) of fish with gill pallor was 12.5% (range 9–37%) while PVC of fish with more normal color was 30% (27–33%). Association between the PCV and gill pallor score was statistically significant, as was the association between PCV and the number of monogeneans found on the gills of each fish. Median estimated white blood cell count of fish with gill pallor, at 12.05 × 10^3/μL (range 3.8–24.7), was significantly lower than of apparently healthy fish: 24.7 × 10³/μL (17.3–31.5). Histopathology of the gill arches of pale-gilled fish revealed multifocal moderate to severe branchitis, focal areas of dilated hyperplastic lamellae occluded by fibrin, and monogeneans attached to the lamellae. Fish that were apparently healthy had grossly similar histologic lesions, but at lower frequency and severity.

Received May 27, 2011; accepted July 12, 2012     

Seasonal variation in the diet of Cape clawless otters (Aonyx capensis) in a marine habitat

Seasonal changes in the diet of Cape clawless otters Aonyx capensis feeding in the surf zone in False Bay, Western Cape Province, South Africa, were investigated by spraint (faecal) analysis. The most common prey species, during all seasons, was the Cape rock crab, Plagusia chabrus. The next most important prey species was the Cape rock lobster, Jasus lalandii, with the fish species Clinus superciliosus being equally important in winter. Other prey were fresh-water crabs, Potamonautes perlatus, octopus, Octopus granulatus, and 17 other species of fish, frogs and mammals. In winter and autumn the most important prey category was fish while in spring and summer, crustaceans were the most important. Diversity of prey was lowest in winter, increasing through the seasons from spring to autumn.     

Massive Lernaea cyprinacea Infestations Damaging the Gills of Channel Catfish Polycultured with Bighead Carp

Abstract

During June and July 1998, at least three Arkansas fish farms polyculturing bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis with channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus suffered major losses of catfish associated with massive infestations by the crustacean parasite Lernaea cyprinacea. The channel catfish had few adult Lernaea attached to their skin, but there were 8–50 Lernaea copepodids on the surface of each catfish gill filament. The copepodids were found grazing on the gill tissue, and their feeding activity was associated with gill damage including epithelial hyperplasia, telangiectasis, and hemorrhage. Bighead carp in the same ponds were reported to have had numerous adult Lernaea on their skin but did not die during the epizootic. It is possible that the filter-feeding apparatus of the carp captured the copepodids, thus preventing heavy infestation of the gill filaments. Lernaea copepodids have not been implicated previously in fish losses resulting from parasite damage to the gills. The loss of catfish in these cases is likely to be due to their polyculture with the bighead carp, a species that provides an excellent host for adult Lernaea.