David Lloyd
United Kingdom
Review Article
Spironucleus species: Economically-Important Fish Pathogens and Enigmatic Single-Celled Eukaryotes
Author(s): Catrin F Williams, David Lloyd, Sarah L Poynton, Anders Jorgensen, Coralie OM Millet and Joanne Cable
Catrin F Williams, David Lloyd, Sarah L Poynton, Anders Jorgensen, Coralie OM Millet and Joanne Cable
Diplomonads are aerotolerant anaerobic, binucleate flagellates, which are commonly found in the intestinal tract of wild and farmed fish. Of the diplomonad genera, Spironucleus, composed of opportunistic pathogens, poses the greatest threat to aquaculture. Immunocompromised hosts or fish without acquired immunity are thought to be more susceptible to parasitism by these otherwise commensal agents. Accumulation of flagellates along the intestinal tract often leads to systemic Spironucleosis causing high mortality of both ornamental and food fish in aquaculture. The life cycle of these piscine diplomonads is direct, consisting of a motile, parasitic trophozoite and a resilient encysted stage, which facilitates water-borne transmission. Confusion in the nomenclature, as well as numerous reassignments of taxa, hampers our understanding of host range and geographical distr.. View More»
DOI:
10.4172/2155-9546.S2-002