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Dermocystidium sp. Infection in Blue Ridge Sculpin Captured in Maryland
Author(s) -
Blazer Vicki S.,
Hitt Nathaniel P.,
Snyder Craig D.,
Snook Erin L.,
Adams Cynthia R.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of aquatic animal health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.507
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1548-8667
pISSN - 0899-7659
DOI - 10.1080/08997659.2016.1159622
Subject(s) - sculpin , cottus , biology , ridge , population , zoology , fish <actinopterygii> , national park , fishery , ecology , anatomy , demography , paleontology , sociology
Raised pale cysts were observed on Blue Ridge Sculpin Cottus caeruleomentum during stream fish community surveys in Catoctin Mountain Park, Maryland. When examined histologically, preserved sculpin exhibited multiple cysts containing spherical endospores with a refractile central body characteristic of Dermocystidium spp. Cysts were not observed on the gills or internally. The portion of the watershed in which affected sculpin were observed contained lower than expected numbers of sculpin, raising concerns about the population effects of this infection. A nearby stream lacked sculpin even though they are common in this region, further suggesting the possibility of regional effects. This is the first report of a Dermocystidium infecting any fish species in the eastern United States. Received October 16, 2015; accepted February 14, 2016 Published online July 25, 2016