Diseases of oysters Crassostrea ariakensis and C. virginica reared in ambient waters from the Choptank River, Maryland and the Indian River Lagoon, Florida.

To assess potential benefits and liabilities from a proposed introduction of Asian Suminoe oysters, susceptibilities of exotic Crassostrea ariakensis and native C. virginica oysters were compared during exposures to pathogens endemic in temperate, mesohaline waters of Chesapeake Bay and sub-tropical, polyhaline Atlantic waters of southern Florida, USA. Cohorts of diploid, sibling oysters of both species were periodically tested for diseases while reared in mesocosms receiving ambient waters from the Choptank River, Maryland (>3 yr) or the Indian River Lagoon, Florida (10 to 11 mo). Haplosporidium sp. infections (e.g. MSX disease) were not detected in oysters from either site. Perkinsus sp. infections (dermo disease) occurred among members of both oyster species at both sites, but infections were generally of low or moderate intensities. A Bonamia sp. was detected by PCR of DNAs from tissues of both oyster species following exposure to Florida waters, with maximum PCR prevalences of 44 and 15% among C. ariakensis and C. virginica oysters respectively during June 2007. Among C. ariakensis oysters sampled during April to July 2007, a Bonamia sp. was detected in 31% of oysters by PCR (range 11 to 35%) and confirmed histologically in 10% (range 0 to 15%). Among simultaneously sampled C. virginica oysters, a Bonamia sp. was detected in 7% by PCR (range 0 to 15%), but histological lesions were absent. Although this is the first report of a Bonamia sp. from Florida waters, sequences of small subunit (SSU) rDNA and in situ hybridization (ISH) assays both identified the Florida pathogen as Bonamia exitiosa, which also infects oysters in the proximate waters of North Carolina, USA.

Two epizootic diseases in Chesapeake Bay commercial clams, Mya arenaria and Tagelus plebeius.

Declining Chesapeake Bay harvests of softshell clams, together with historical and emerging reports of epizootic diseases in Mya arenaria, prompted a survey in summer 2000 of the health status of selected commercial clam populations. All sampled populations (8 M arenaria softshell clam, 2 Tagelus plebeius razor clam) were infected by Perkinsus sp. protozoans at prevalences ranging from 30 to 100% of sampled clams. Nucleotide sequences for the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the rRNA gene complex were determined for clonal in vitro Perkinsus sp. isolates propagated from both M. arenaria and T plebeius. Multiple polymorphic sequences were amplified from each isolate, but phylogenetic analysis placed all sequences into 2 clades of a monophyletic group, which included both recently described clam parasites P. chesapeaki and P. andrewsi. Sequences amplified from each clonal isolate were found in both sister clades, one containing P. andrewsi and the other P. chesapeaki. Most (7 of 8) M. arenaria samples were also affected with disseminated neoplasia (DN), at prevalences of 3 to 37%, but neither T. plebeius sample showed DN disease. Disease mortalities projected for sampled clam populations, especially those affected by both diseases, may further deplete subtidal commercial clam populations in mesohaline portions of Chesapeake Bay.