Open AccessEPIBIOTIC MICROBIAL INFESTATIONS OF CULTURED CRUSTACEANS 1
Author(s) -
Fisher William S.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
proceedings of the annual meeting ‐ world mariculture society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.655
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1749-7345
pISSN - 0164-0399
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-7345.1977.tb00152.x
Subject(s) - crustacean , biology , epibiont , commensalism , biofouling , zoology , ecology , microorganism , arthropod , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , genetics , membrane
Microbial epibionts have continually hampered efforts to rear crustaceans. Although a variety of microbial agents may be responsible for mortalities on a variety of crustaceans, several characteristics are sufficiently similar to consider epibiotic microbial fouling as a single syndrome. Epibionts use the surface of the animal only as a substrate and rely on dissolved nutrients in the seawater for nourishment. The type and extent of infestation corresponds to water quality. Lethality is presumed to result from asphyxia caused by occlusion of respiratory surfaces. The easily diagnosed filamentous epibionts may only signify advanced stages of the disease while non‐filamentous forms are more directly related to mortalities. Filamentous and non‐filamentous forms also respond differently to therapeutic treatment. Infestation and mortality in egg masses of crabs occur most heavily on the external portions of the egg mass and decline exponentially with increased depth into the egg mass. Temporal progression occurs in the same manner. Some evidence suggests that the exterior layers “seed” the successive internal eggs with epibionts. Various observations have prompted speculation concerning the susceptibility of crustaceans to microbial epibionts in relation to their culture environment. Potential methods of prevention and treatments are discussed.