Infection of Norway lobster ( Nephrops norvegicus ) by the parasite Hematodinium sp.: insights from 30 years of field observations

The Norway lobster, , is an important representative of the benthos and also supports valuable fisheries across Europe. are susceptible to infection by sp., an endoparasitic dinoflagellate that causes morbidity and mortality. From an epizootiological perspective, the Clyde Sea Area (CSA; west of Sco...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Royal Society open science 2024-01, Vol.11 (1), p.231147-11
Main Authors: Molto-Martin, Irene, Neil, Douglas M, Coates, Christopher J, MacKenzie, Simon A, Bass, David, Stentiford, Grant D, Albalat, Amaya
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Benthos
Crustaceans
Datasets
decapod crustaceans
dinoflagellate
Dinoflagellates
disease connectivity
Ecology, Conservation and Global Change Biology
Fisheries
Hematodinium
Infections
Lobsters
long-term datasets
marine parasite
Microorganisms
Microscopy
Morbidity
Nephrops
Nephrops norvegicus
Parasites
Pathogens
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Summary:The Norway lobster, , is an important representative of the benthos and also supports valuable fisheries across Europe. are susceptible to infection by sp., an endoparasitic dinoflagellate that causes morbidity and mortality. From an epizootiological perspective, the Clyde Sea Area (CSA; west of Scotland) is the best-studied - pathosystem, with historical data available between 1988 and 2008. We have revisited this pathosystem by curating and updating prevalence values, differentiating host traits associated with disease exposure and progression, and comparing sp. disease dynamics in the CSA to other locations and to other decapod hosts ( , ). Prevalence from a 2018/2019 survey (involving 1739 lobsters) revealed sp. still mounts a synchronized patent infection in the CSA; hence this pathogen can be considered as enzootic in this location. We highlight for the first time that size is associated with high severity infection, while females are more exposed to sp. More generally, regardless of the host (Norway lobster, brown and shore crabs) or the geographical area (Ireland, Wales, Scotland), sp. patent infections peak in spring/summer and reach their nadir during autumn. We contend that must be considered one of the most important pathogens of decapod crustaceans in temperate waters.
ISSN:2054-5703
2054-5703
DOI:10.1098/rsos.231147