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Reservoir hosts and new clupeoid host records for the myoliquefactive myxosporean parasite Kudoa thyrsites (Gilchrist)
Author(s) -
LANGDON J. S.,
THORNE T.,
FLETCHER W. J.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
journal of fish diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1365-2761
pISSN - 0140-7775
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2761.1992.tb00678.x
Subject(s) - biology , engraulis , parasite hosting , host (biology) , zoology , range (aeronautics) , fishery , ecology , fish <actinopterygii> , anchovy , materials science , world wide web , computer science , composite material
. The myxosporean parasite Kudoa thyrsites (Gilchrist) is well recognised as a cause of flesh liquefaction post‐mortem in several fishes from both hemispheres. The observation of this condition in cultured mahi mahi, Coryphaena hippurus L., in Western Australia led us to search for possible reservoirs of infection amongst the abundant clupeoid fishes of the area. Prevalent and severe infections were found in Sardinops sagax neopilchardus (Steindachner), which we consider to be a major reservoir host for K. thyrsites in south‐west Australian coastal waters. The parasite occurred less frequently in Spratelloides robustus Ogilby, Sardinetla lemuru Bleeker and Engraulis austratis (Shaw) from the same waters. Infection was not detected in Hyperlophus vittatus (Castelnau), Etrumeus teres (De Kay) or Nematalosa vlaminghi (Munro), which may reflect differences in range or dietary composition. Engraulis japonicus (Temminck & Sehlegel) imported from Japan were also infected, but a single sample of E. mordax Girard from California contained only an equipolar Kudoa species. These records expand the known host range of K. thyrsites to 20 species in 10 families, and several of these host species appear to be major reservoirs of infection in certain locations. Flesh spoilage due to the liquefactive effects of the parasite could occur in any of these hosts, and was seen here in S. sagax neopilchardus, S. robustus and E. japonicus in association with mature spores. Detection of infection with ultra‐violet light was found to be ineffective because a cellular host response was not mounted by the clupeoids.