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Influence of host genetic origin and geographic location on QPX disease in northern quahogs (=hard clams), Mercenaria mercenaria
- Publication Year :
- 2010
-
Abstract
- Author Posting. © National Shellfisheries Association, 2007. This article is posted here by permission of National Shellfisheries Association for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Shellfish Research 26 (2007): 109-119, doi:10.2983/0730-8000(2007)26[109:IOHGOA]2.0.CO;2.<br />QPX (Quahog Parasite Unknown) a protistan pathogen of northern quahogs (=hard clams), Mercenaria mercenaria, has caused disease outbreaks in maritime Canada, and in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia, USA. Although epizootics have occurred in wild hard clam populations, the parasite has most seriously affected cultured hard clams, suggesting that aquaculture practices may promote or predispose clams to the disease. In this investigation the influence of clam genetic origin and the geographic location at where they are grown on QPX disease susceptibility was examined in a common garden experiment. Aquaculture stocks were acquired from hatcheries in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia, South Carolina, and Florida and spawned at a single hatchery in Virginia. All stocks were originally, although not exclusively, derived from wild hard clam populations from each state. The seed clams were deployed at two sites, New Jersey and Virginia, and evaluated during the subsequent 2.5 y for growth, survival, and QPX disease. At both sites, South Carolina- and Florida-derived clam stocks exhibited significantly higher QPX prevalence and lower survival than New Jersey and Massachusetts clam stocks. Levels in the Virginia stock were intermediate. In Virginia, mortality at the termination of the experiment was 78%, 52%, 36%, 33%, and 20% in the Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, Massachusetts, and New Jersey hard clam stocks, respectively. Mortality was significantly correlated with QPX prevalence. Maximum QPX prevalence in the South Carolina and Florida stocks ranged from 19% to 21% and 27% to 29%, respectively, whereas in the Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts stocks prevalence was 10% or less. Similar trends were observed in New Jersey where mortality at the termination of the experiment was estimated to be 53%, 40%, 20%, 6%, and 4% in the Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, Massachusetts, and New Jersey clam stocks, respectively. QPX prevalence peaked at 18% in<br />This project was funded by the Saltonstall-Kennedy Program (Grant Number NA96FD0075).
Details
- Database :
- OAIster
- Notes :
- application/pdf, en_US
- Publication Type :
- Electronic Resource
- Accession number :
- edsoai.on1130873121
- Document Type :
- Electronic Resource