Document Type
Article
Department/Program
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Publication Date
5-1996
Journal
Diseases of Aquatic Organisms
Volume
25
Issue
1-2
First Page
155
Last Page
158
Abstract
Since 1988 growers of bay scallop Argopecten irradians in China have been experiencing mortality in their cultured stocks. Although poorly documented, mortality apparently began near Qingdao and has since spread to other areas of Shandong and Liaoning provinces. Samples of cultured scallops were collected from several growing areas in these provinces and analyzed by histological methods for pathogens. An unidentified haplosporidian parasite was observed in a high proportion of scallops from two of the stocks examined. Most infections were of low intensity, but one heavy infection was also observed. Only plasmodia stages were observed; they occurred intercellularly in connective tissues throughout the scallops. Plasmodia were spherical to oval, varied from 4.0 to 17.0 mu m in diameter and contained from 2 to 18 nuclei. Absence of spores prevented generic assignment of the parasite. The source and pathogenicity of the haplosporidian could not be assessed without additional research. No other microbial parasites (i.e. rickettsia-like, chlamydia-like or kidney coccidia) were observed in any of the scallops examined.
DOI
10.3354/dao025155
Recommended Citation
Chu, FLE; Burreson, EM; Zhang, F; and Chew, K, An unidentified haplosporidian parasite of bay scallop Argopecten irradians cultured in the Shandong and Liaoning provinces of China (1996). Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 25(1-2), 155-158.
10.3354/dao025155
