Molecular evidence for cosmopolitan distribution of platyhelminth parasites of tunas (Thunnus spp.)

Global distribution of platyhelminth parasites and their host specificities are not well known. Our hypothesis was that platyhelminth parasites of large pelagic fishes are common around the world. We analysed molecular variation in three different taxa of platyhelminth parasites infecting four species of tunas: yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares, Scombridae) from Western Australia, southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii, Scombridae) from South Australia, Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis, Scombridae) from Pacific Mexico and northern bluefin tuna (T. thynnus, Scombridae) from two localities in the Mediterranean (Spain and Croatia). Comparisons of ITS2 and partial 28S rDNA demonstrated two congeneric species of blood flukes (Digenea: Sanguinicolidae) from multiple hosts and localities: Cardicola forsteri from southern bluefin and northern bluefin tunas, and Cardicola sp. from Pacific bluefin and northern bluefin tunas; and a gill fluke, Hexostoma thynni (Polyopisthocotylea: Hexostomatidae), from yellowfin, southern bluefin and northern bluefin tunas. Partial 28S rDNA indicates that a second type of fluke on the gills, Capsala sp. (Monopisthocotylea: Capsalidae), occurs on both southern bluefin and Pacific bluefin tunas. This appears to be the first report of conspecific platyhelminth parasites of teleosts with a wide‐ranging geographical distribution that has been confirmed through molecular approaches. Given the brevity of the free‐living larval stage of both taxa of flukes on the gills (H. thynni and Capsala sp.), we conclude that the only feasible hypothesis for the cosmopolitan distribution of these flatworms is migrations of host tunas. Host migration also seems likely to be responsible for the widespread occurrence of the two species of blood flukes (Cardicola spp.), although it is also possible that these were translocated recently by the spread of infected intermediate hosts.     

Testing a depth‐based Habitat Classification System against reef fish assemblage patterns in a subtropical marine park

• 1. The Solitary Islands Marine Park (SIMP) in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, has strong cross‐shelf patterns of reef fish assemblages on shallow reefs (<25 m). While the SIMP also contains reef at depths of up to 75 m, marine communities below 25 m are poorly described. The Habitat Classification System (HCS) used for planning the arrangement of zones in this marine park included three depth categories for reef: shallow (<25 m); intermediate (25–60 m); and deep (>60 m). However, these had not been tested to determine if they adequately reflect biotic patterns.
• 2. Using baited remote underwater video (BRUV), fish assemblages were surveyed at 56 sites spread across shallow, intermediate, and deep reefs within the SIMP to examine spatial variation between depth categories. Relationships between assemblage patterns, depth, and four additional factors considered likely to affect assemblage patterns (distance from shore, reef type, dominant benthos, and latitude), were subsequently explored using multivariate statistical methods.
• 3. Reef fish assemblages differed significantly among the depth categories. Assemblage patterns for fish were strongly correlated with depth and moderately correlated with the dominant benthic assemblage. Correlations with the other factors were generally weak. Three distinct assemblages occurred on reefs <25 m, 25–50 m and >50 m. Shallow (<25 m) reefs also displayed strong cross‐shelf patterns, supporting the results from other studies. Weaker cross‐shelf patterns were evident at intermediate depths (25–50 m).
• 4. Depth‐based and cross‐shelf categories are clearly fundamental components for a HCS that will adequately represent reef fish assemblages for conservation planning in the SIMP. Further refining the depth criteria for the intermediate/deep boundary (to 50 m) improves this representation. Further research is required to determine the wider application of the refined HCS to other marine parks in NSW and to determine how well it represents other components of biodiversity. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

     

Hydrochemical processes at a pristine site in nord-trøndelag,mid-Norway

A detailed study of hydrochemical processes associated with vegetation and soils was undertaken at a pristine site in mid-Norway. Inputs to the site during snow-free periods showed a marked seasonality with excess sulphate concentrations in rainfall only during the summer months. However, this represented a small fraction of total annual loading and there was a dominant influence of sea salt deposition. Site vegetation modified the chemistry of water reaching the soil surface, and this also showed a marked seasonal response. The pristine nature of this site results in the soils retaining acid-soluble components which may have been eluted from impacted sites. In the soils, the extractable aluminium remains largely (70%) in the organic bound forms. The contribution of different sources of water in affecting streamwater output quality at this site are discussed.     

Immunological studies with liposome-bound corynetoxins

Attempts were made to raise antibodies against corynetoxins, a family of toxins responsible for annual ryegrass toxicity. The glycolipid nature of corynetoxins made them ideally suited for incorporation into the structure of small unilamellar liposomes. Sheep were injected with corynetoxin liposomes with and without adjuvants such as lipid A and muramyl dipeptide, and the sera tested for anti-corynetoxin antibody. Similarly, rabbits were injected with hydrolysed corynetoxin coupled to human IgG and keyhole limpet haemocyanin and with corynetoxin coupled to bovine serum albumin. These preparations were administered with complete Freund's adjuvant. The failure of any of these preparations to elicit an anti-corynetoxin antibody response in either sheep or rabbits is discussed.     

Galectin secretion and binding to adult Fasciola hepatica during chronic liver fluke infection of sheep

Galectins are increasingly recognised as important mediators of immune homeostasis and disease regulation, but comparatively little is known about their role in parasite infection. This study investigates the interaction between two ovine galectins, galectin-11 and galectin-14, and the parasitic liver fluke, F. hepatica. Galectin-14 was found in eosinophils infiltrating the tissue surrounding infected bile ducts and secreted in the connective tissue, while galectin-11 was specifically induced in epithelial cells of bile ducts from infected sheep. Strong nuclear staining was observed for galectin-11. Both galectins were found to be secreted into the bile fluid of parasite infected sheep, and were also detected in the excretory/secretory products of adult flukes, following their removal from the ovine host. Recombinant galectin-14, but not recombinant galectin-11, was found to bind specifically to the surface tegument of adult flukes in a carbohydrate dependent manner. This study shows for the first time that both galectin-14 and galectin-11 are produced in liver tissue after chronic liver fluke infection and that they can directly interact with the parasite in the bile ducts. Galectin-11 may also be involved in epithelial cell turnover and cancerogenesis.     

Epizootics of metazoan gill parasites did not threaten feasibility of farming southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) in a trial extending over summer months

Tuna farming off Port Lincoln, Australia, involves catching wild 2–4-year-old southern bluefin tuna in summer and then fattening for periods of 2–8 months. As fresh product is not available year-round, the feasibility of maintaining tuna for longer periods was trialled, including over a summer season, when temperatures may exceed 24 °C. As the rates of growth and reproduction in ectoparasites of fishes are usually most rapid during warm temperatures, parasite epizootics at this time may adversely affect the health of tuna. We collected epidemiological data on burdens of metazoans on the gills of tuna from the time of stocking in April 2005 through to final harvest in August 2006 (N = 220). We document an epizootic of the copepod Pseudocycnus appendiculatus, characterised by a significant increase in both prevalence and mean intensity in the first winter, followed by a decline in these parameters over the next 12 months. This epizootic pattern appears to be independent of seasonal changes in temperature. For two other species, a second copepod (Euryphorus brachypterus) and a polyopisthocotylean flatworm (Hexostoma thynni), there were no clearly discernible trends in infections. As the high water temperatures over the summer period did not lead to increased infections of any species of gill parasites, we conclude that they do not threaten the feasibility of farming of Thunnus maccoyii.     

Behaviour and Impact of Cow Slurry Beneath a Storage Lagoon: 1. Groundwater Contamination 1975–1982

The chemical and biological composition of groundwater sampled from a 76 m deep borehole situated 80 m from an unlined, earth-banked lagoon excavated in Upper Chalk and continuously used to store liquid cow manure was regularly monitored from August 1975 to January 1982 for signs of pollution. The lagoon became self-sealing 3 months after the start of filling in 1975, but was further enlarged and re-filled in autumn 1976, and emptied by dragline in September 1978 and 1980. No significant changes in groundwater composition were detected in the period August 1975 to December 1978. In January 1979, significant numbers of Escherichia coli and a large, rapid increase in concentrations of ammonium-nitrogen (NH₄-N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sodium (Na), chloride (Cl) and sulphate (SO4) were detected in the groundwater. Nutrient concentrations fluctuated at elevated levels throughout 1979 but decreased during 1980. Additional bacterial and chemical (NH₄-N, P and K) contamination was recorded in January 1981 and subsequent months. The contamination was considered to have occurred as a result of fissure flow through the unsaturated zone of the Upper Chalk following repeated disruption of the self-sealing layer during emptying of the lagoon by dragline in September 1978 and 1980. The results indicate that unlined, earth-banked slurry storage lagoons need to be carefully managed to avoid biological and chemical pollution of Chalk aquifers.     

Development of a novel histopathological gill scoring protocol for assessment of gill health during a longitudinal study in marine-farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

Gill health and disease in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were studied at a marine site on the west coast of Ireland. Fish were sampled on a regular basis during the summer and autumn of 2009. A novel histopathological scoring system was devised to give a semi-quantitative measure of gill pathology. The index criteria for gill histopathology were lamellar hyperplasia, lamellar fusion, circular anomalies (necrosis or sloughing) and lamellar oedema, a score from 0 to 3 being assigned for each parameter. Ancillary criteria, such as hypertrophy, haemorrhage and the presence of specific pathogens, were assigned a score of 0 or 1. Environmental monitoring undertaken included zooplankton and phytoplankton sampling, as well as temperature and oxygen recordings for the site. Epitheliocystis was frequently observed at low levels but was not associated with any significant gill pathology. Clinically significant gill pathology was observed on one occasion during the sampling period, coinciding with the occurrence of Pelagia noctiluca, Muggiaea atlantica and Solmaris corona. Throughout the longitudinal study, the scoring system provided an accurate and effective means of assessing gill health, demonstrating the ability of this practical tool to be used in future studies of gill health and disease.