1. First record of a Kabatana sp. microsporidium infecting fish in the Atlantic Ocean.
- Author
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Barber I, Davies AJ, Ironside JE, Forsgren E, and Amundsen T
- Subjects
- Animals, Atlantic Ocean, Fish Diseases epidemiology, Male, Microsporidia, Unclassified classification, Microsporidia, Unclassified genetics, Microsporidiosis epidemiology, Muscle, Skeletal parasitology, Muscle, Skeletal pathology, Phylogeny, Spores, Fish Diseases parasitology, Microsporidia, Unclassified isolation & purification, Microsporidiosis veterinary, Perciformes
- Abstract
Two-spotted goby Gobiusculus flavescens from the Swedish Gullmarsfjord regularly present subcutaneous creamy-white patches in the body musculature, associated with Kabatana sp. infection. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene of the microsporidium showed 98.54% homology with Kabatana newberryi infecting a marine goby from California, indicating that the Swedish microsporidium is either a different strain of K. newberryi or a closely related species. This represents the first record of a Kabatana species in the Atlantic Ocean. The genetic similarity of the 2 microsporidia was paralleled by close infection phenotypes. Infected muscle fibres were swollen compared to adjacent non-infected fibres, and mature spore masses were found throughout the skeletal musculature. No xenoma formation was detected. Since G. flavescens is an established model species in behavioural ecology, the host-parasite system is ideally suited for testing how microsporidian infections affect host behaviour and fitness.
- Published
- 2009
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