Salinity and temperature affect the symbiont profile and host condition of Florida USA blue crabs Callinectes sapidus

[Display omitted] •Twelve symbiont groups identified in Florida C. sapidus include Ciliophorans, Digenean, Microsporidia, Haplosporidia, Hematodinium sp., Nematoda, filamentous bacteria, gregarine, Callinectes sapidus nudivirus, Octolasmis sp., Cambarincola sp., and putative microcell.•Salinity is s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of invertebrate pathology 2023-06, Vol.198, p.107930-107930, Article 107930
Main Authors: Walters, Erin A., Bojko, Jamie, Crowley, Claire E., Gandy, Ryan L., Martin, Charles W., Shea, Colin P., Bateman, Kelly S., Stentiford, Grant D., Behringer, Donald C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Blue crab
Brachyura
Dinoflagellida - physiology
Florida
Histology
Pathology
Reflex impairment
Salinity
Temperature
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Summary:[Display omitted] •Twelve symbiont groups identified in Florida C. sapidus include Ciliophorans, Digenean, Microsporidia, Haplosporidia, Hematodinium sp., Nematoda, filamentous bacteria, gregarine, Callinectes sapidus nudivirus, Octolasmis sp., Cambarincola sp., and putative microcell.•Salinity is strongly and positively correlated to C. sapidus symbiont diversity.•Water temperature and salinity explain 48% of C. sapidus symbiont group variation among varied Florida habitats.•Crab condition, examined with the reflex action mortality predictor (RAMP) were found positively correlated and impaired crab were more likely to host symbionts. Subtropical Florida blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, exhibit differing life history traits compared to their temperate counterparts, likely influencing symbiont infection dynamics. Little information exists for Florida C. sapidus symbiont profiles, their distribution among various habitats, and influence on crab condition. Using histopathology, genomics, and transmission electron microscopy, we describe the first symbiont profiles for Florida C. sapidus occupying freshwater to marine habitats. Twelve symbiont groups were identified from 409 crabs including ciliophorans, digenean, microsporidian, Haplosporidia, Hematodinium sp., Nematoda, filamentous bacteria, gregarine, Callinectes sapidus nudivirus, Octolasmis sp., Cambarincola sp., and putative microcell. Overall, 78% of C. sapidus were documented with one or more symbiont groups demonstrating high infection rates in wild populations. Environmental variables water temperature and salinity explained 48% of the variation in symbiont groups among Florida habitats, and salinity was positively correlated with C. sapidus symbiont diversity. This suggests freshwater C. sapidus possess fewer symbionts and represent healthier individuals compared to saltwater populations. Crab condition was examined using the reflex action mortality predictor (RAMP) to determine if reflex impairment could be linked to symbiont prevalence. Symbionts were found positively correlated with crab condition, and impaired crabs were more likely to host symbionts, demonstrating symbiont inclusion may boost predictive ability of the RAMP application. The microsporidian symbiont group had a particularly strong effect on C. sapidus reflex response, and impairment was on average 1.57 times higher compared to all other symbiont groups. Our findings demonstrate the importance of considering full symbiont profiles
ISSN:0022-2011
1096-0805
DOI:10.1016/j.jip.2023.107930