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ABSTRACT: Paracartia grani (Copepoda) has been identified as a potential intermediate host in the life cycle of Marteilia refringens, a paramyxean parasite infecting flat oysters. However, no intermediate host has yet been identified for Marteilia maurini that infects mussels. A better understanding of the life cycle of these two Marteilia types would clarify their taxonomic relationship and hypothesized co-specificity. For this purpose, experimental infections of copepods, P. grani, were performed using naturally infected flat oysters and mussels. Infection patterns were different depending whether copepods were infected from oysters or mussels. M. maurini did not proliferate in copepods while M. refringens rapidly proliferated in infected copepods. Previously unrecognized developmental stages of M. refringens were found during this study.
Journal of Fish Diseases 08/2008; 31(7):497-504. · 2.00 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Marteilia spp. are paramyxean parasites that affect several bivalve species of economic interest, such as Ostrea edulis and Mytilus galloprovincialis. Certain aspects of Marteilia spp., such as their life cycle and host affinity and infection dynamics, still remain unknown. The 'Delta de l'Ebre' constitutes a natural model for the study of the life cycle of the parasite Marteilia, since uninfected mussels and flat oysters immersed in the bays can become infected. This, along with the geographical and ecological characteristics of the bays, make it a very interesting location to study the Marteilia life cycle. Preliminary results concerning marteiliosis, mainly in mussels, such as prevalence dynamics, infectious periods, host affinity and host intermediate candidates are reported in the present paper. This information will be required for further, more exhaustive, studies in the bays of the Ebre delta.
Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 04/2008; 79(1):65-73. · 2.20 Impact Factor
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Journal of Fish Diseases 03/2008; 31(2):153-7. · 2.00 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Since the first description of Marteilia refringens (Paramyxea) in flat oysters Ostrea edulis in 1968 in the Aber Wrach, Brittany (France), the life-cycle of this parasite has remained unknown. However, recent studies, conducted in the 'claire' system, have proposed the planktonic copepod Acartia grani as a potential intermediate host for the parasite. Nevertheless, experimental transmission of the parasite through the copepod has failed. Recent studies in this field have reported the presence of the parasite in zooplankton from the bays of the Delta de l'Ebre, a more complex and natural estuarine environment than that of the claire. As a result, 2 new Marteilia host species were proposed: the copepods Oithona sp. (Cyclopoida) and an indeterminate Harpaticoida. Consequently, the objective of the present work was to study the dynamics of Marteilia in the zooplankton community from one of the bays, Alfacs Bay, as well as the dynamics of the parasite in cultivated mussels during 1 complete year. Six different zooplankton taxa appeared to be parasitized by M. refringens, including copepods (3 Calanoida, Acartia discaudata, A. clausi and A. italica; 1 Cyclopoida, Oithona sp.; and 1 Harpacticoida, Euterpina acutifrons), and larval stages of decapod crustaceans (zoea larvae of Brachyura, probably Portumnus sp.). These taxa are thus proposed as new subjects for study, since they could be intermediate hosts in the infection process of mussels by Marteilia.
Parasitology 11/2007; 134(Pt 11):1541-50. · 2.96 Impact Factor
