Thraustochytriidae infections of bivalves
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Diseases of Bivalves: Historical and Current Perspectives
Publication Date
1-1-2024
Abstract
Organisms making up the phylum, Labyrinthulomycota, usually termed slime molds, are rarely parasites of marine animals, but two in the family Thraustochytriidae have been identified as pathogens of bivalves. Ruditapes decussatus (grooved carpet shell clam) is infected by a thraustochytriidae causing ulceration and local infection of the gills. Quahog Parasite Unknown (QPX), recently named Mucochytrium quahogii, has been investigated extensively and can be the cause of significant disease and associated mortality in cultured and wild hard clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) on the east coast of the US and Canada. QPX invades the mantle tissues primarily at a site adjacent to the incurrent siphon and can spread from there to the internal tissue of the body. Hard clam inflammation responding to QPX infection varies in intensity between spring and summer seasons in this ectothermic animal, results in an apparently ineffective inflammatory response in the spring and a usually high spring mortality. Hard clam strain, based on historical origin of the broodstock, has a significant effect on development of disease with seed of strains from southern areas exhibiting more severe disease when cultured in northern areas. Ongoing research is identifying genes responsible for resistance that can be used to screen potential hard clam broodstock.
First Page
289
Last Page
306
DOI
10.1016/B978-0-12-820339-2.00004-8
Recommended Citation
Smolowitz, R. (2024). Thraustochytriidae infections of bivalves. Diseases of Bivalves: Historical and Current Perspectives, 289-306. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-820339-2.00004-8
ISBN
[9780128203392, 9780128203439]
