Document Type
Article
Department/Program
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Publication Date
10-30-2019
Journal
Diseases of Aquatic Organisms
Volume
136
Issue
3
First Page
209
Last Page
218
Abstract
The Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus supports a large and valuable fishery in the Caribbean Sea. In 2007-2008, a rare microsporidian parasite with spore characteristics typical of the Ameson genus was detected in 2 spiny lobsters from southeast Florida (FL). However, the parasite species was not confirmed by molecular analyses. To address this deficiency, reported here are structural and molecular data on single lobsters displaying comparable ‘cotton-like’ abdominal muscle containing ovoid microsporidian spores found at different locations in FL in 2014 and 2018 and in Saint Kitts and Nevis Islands in 2017. In the lobster from 2014, multiple life stages consistent with an Ameson-like monokaryotic microsporidian were detected by transmission electron microscopy. A partial (1228 bp) small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequence showed each microsporidia to be identical and positioned it closest phylogenetically to Ameson pulvis in a highly supported clade also containing A. michaelis, A. metacarcini, A. portunus, and Nadelspora canceri. Using ecological, pathological, ultrastructural, and molecular data, the P. argus microsporidian has been assigned to a distinct species: Ameson herrnkindi.
DOI
10.3354/dao03406
Keywords
Crustacea, Disease, Microspora, Parasite
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Small, Hamish J.; Stentiford, GD; Behringer, DC; Freeman, MA; Atherley, NAM; Reece, Kimberly S.; and Shields, Jeffrey D., Characterization of microsporidian Ameson herrnkindi sp. nov. infecting Caribbean spiny lobsters Panulirus argus (2019). Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 136(3), 209-218.
10.3354/dao03406
