PetCaseFinder

Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

A parasitic scuticociliate infection in the Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus).

Journal:
Journal of invertebrate pathology
Year:
2005
Authors:
Small, H J et al.
Affiliation:
Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences · United Kingdom

Abstract

A histophagous ciliate infection was discovered in a number of Norway lobsters (Nephrops norvegicus) from the Clyde Sea Area, Scotland. Silver-carbonate staining of cultured ciliates revealed an oral apparatus and additional structural features that are morphologically similar to scuticociliates in the genus Mesanophrys, which are known to parasitize crustaceans. However, ribosomal DNA sequences (ITS1/5.8S/ITS2) of the ciliate were identical to Orchitophyra stellarum, a parasitic scuticociliate of sea stars with a different morphology from Mesanophrys spp. and to the ciliate from N. norvegicus. Associated pathology included degeneration and necrosis of the myocardial heart muscle, and large numbers of ciliates in the gill filaments.

Find similar cases for your pet

PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.

Search related cases →

Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16216262/