Skip to main content
Download PDF
  • Fishes
  • Published:

Juvenile summer flounder,Paralichthys dentatus, mortalities in the western Atlantic Ocean caused by the hemoflagellateTrypanoplasma bullocki: evidence from field and experimental studies

Helgoländer Meeresuntersuchungen volume 37, pages 343–352 (1984)Cite this article

Abstract

Juvenile summer flounder (140–200 mm) inoculated withT. bullocki by leech vector or syringe in November 1980, and held in flowing seawater tanks all died within 11 weeks. Water temperature during the period of highest mortality ranged from 0.5 to 1.5 °C and may have been a contributing factor in mortality. No uninoculated control fish died even though held in the same tank. Symptoms of disease were anemia, splenomegaly and obvious ascites. Mortality of feral juvenile summer flunder in the lower York River during January 1981 was also attributable toT. bullocki because of identical symptoms to moribund fish in the experiment. Results suggest that the presence of ascites can be used as an estimate of mortality in fishes north of Cape Hatteras.

Literature cited

  • Becker, C. D. & Overstreet, R. M., 1979. Haematozoa of marine fishes from the northern Gulf of Mexico. — J. Fish. Dis.2, 469–479.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blaxhall, P. C. & Daisley, K. W., 1973. Routine haematological methods for use with fish blood. — J. Fish Biol.5, 771–781.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burreson, E. M., 1981. The life cycle ofTrypanoplasma bullocki (Zoomastigophorea: Kinetoplastida). — J. Protozool.29, 72–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burreson, E. M. & Zwerner, D. E., 1982. The role of host biology, vector biology, and temperature in the distribution ofTrypanoplasma bullocki infections in the lower Chesapeake Bay. — J. Parasit.68, 306–313.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daily, D. D., 1978. Marine fish hematozoa from Maine. — J. Parasit.64, 361–362.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dyková, I. & Lom, J., 1979. Histopathological changes inTrypanosoma danilewskyi Laveran & Mesnil, 1904 andTrypanoplasma borelli Laveran & Mesnil, 1902 infections of goldfish,Carassius aurata (L.). — J. Fish Dis.2, 381–390.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hines, R. S. & Spira, D. T., 1973. Ichthyophthiriasis in the mirror carp II. Leukocyte response. — J. Fish Biol.5, 527–534.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laird, M. & Bullock, W. L., 1969. Marine fish hematozoa from New Brunswick and New England. — J. Fish. Res. Bd Can.26, 1075–1102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lom, J., 1979. Biology of the trypanosomes and trypanoplasms of fish. In: Biology of the Kinetoplastida. Ed. by W. H. R. Lumsden & D. A. Evans. Acad. Press, New York,2, 269–337.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lowe-Jinde, L., 1979. Some observations of rainbow trout,Salmo gairdneri Richardson, infected withCryptobia salmositica. — J. Fish Biol.14, 297–302.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lowe-Jinde, L., 1980. Observations of rainbow trout,Salmo gairdneri Richardson, infected withCryptobia salmositica. — J. Fish Biol.17, 23–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Munro, A. L. S., McVicar, A. H. & Jones, R., 1983. The epidemiology of infectious disease in commercially important wild marine fish. — Rapp. P.-v. Réun. Cons. int. Explor. Mer182, 21–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newman, M. W., 1978. Pathology associated withCryptobia infection in a summer flounder(Paralichthys dentatus). — J. Wildl. Dis.14, 299–304.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Powell, A. B. & Schwartz, F. J., 1977. Distribution of Paralichthid flounders (Bothidae:Paralichthys) in North Carolina estuaries. — Chesapeake Sci.18, 334–339.

    Google Scholar 

  • Putz, R. E., 1972. Biological studies on the hemoflagellatesCryptobia cataractae andCryptobia salmositica. — Tech. Pap. Fish. Wildl. Serv. U.S.63, 3–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, R. W. & Daiber, F. C., 1977. Biology of the summer flounderParalichthys dentatus, in Delaware Bay. — Fish. Bull. U.S.75, 823–830.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strout, R. G., 1965. A new hemoflagellate (genusCryptobia) from marine fishes of northern New England. — J. Parasit.51, 654–657.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sypek, J. P. & Burreson, E. M., 1982. Influence of temperature on the immune response of juvenile summer flounder,Paralichthys dentatus, and its role in the elimination ofTrypanoplasma bullocki infections. — Dev. comp. Immunol.7, 277–280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woo, P. T. K., 1979.Trypanoplasma salmositica: experimental infections in rainbow trout,Salmo gairdneri. — Expl Parasit.47, 36–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Virginia Institute of Marine Science, School of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, 23062, Gloucester Point, Virginia, USA

    E. M. Burreson & D. E. Zwerner

Authors
  1. E. M. Burreson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. E. Zwerner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Burreson, E.M., Zwerner, D.E. Juvenile summer flounder,Paralichthys dentatus, mortalities in the western Atlantic Ocean caused by the hemoflagellateTrypanoplasma bullocki: evidence from field and experimental studies. Helgolander Meeresunters 37, 343–352 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01989316

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01989316

Keywords

Helgoland Marine Research

ISSN: 1438-3888

Contact us