Microparasites of invasive and native gammarid species (Amphipoda, Gammaroidea) occurring in Poland Preliminary records

Abstract

In total, we analyzed over 4000 individuals of 12 gammarid species from the deltaic system of the Vistula River, Vistula Lagoon, littoral of the Baltic Sea near Dqbki, as well as from small rivers draining directly to the sea in this area. Gregarines (Apicomplexa, Gregarinidae) were recorded in digestive tracks of invasive Pontogammarus robustoides (Uradiophora ramosa (Balcescu-Codreanu 1974) and Cephaloidophora mucronata (Codreanu-Balcescu 1995)) from the Vistula deltaic system, and in digestive system of native Gammarus pulex (Cephaloidophora gammari (Franzius 1848)) from Stradanka river, an affluent of the Vistula Lagoon. Microsporidia were found also only in the two above gammarid species: Pleistophora muelleri (Pfeiffer 1895) in G. pulex from Piainica river, and Nosemapontogammari (Ovcharenko and Kurandina 1987) from the Vistula deltaic system. All the above microparasites are new to Poland.

Cucumispora dikerogammarin. gen. (Fungi: Microsporidia) infecting the invasive amphipodDikerogammarus villosus: a potential emerging disease in European rivers

“…Ultrastructural data obtained from D. villosus collected in the Kiev Reservoir on the River Dnieper, later confirmed typical characteristics of Nosema (Ovcharenko and Vita, 1996). In addition, N. dikerogammari was detected in the Danube Estuarine Lakes, within the native range of D. villosus , and in eastern Poland (Bug River), a part of the invaded range of D. villosus (Ovcharenko et al 2009). In parallel, Wattier et al (2007) surveyed the main water bodies of Western Europe (invaded range) and the lower course of the Danube (southern native range) using a PCR-based molecular screening.…”

“…D were 2 different species or merely a single microsporidian species described using 2 different techniques (light microscopy and DNA sequencing). This question is important because Dikerogammarus villosus is one of the most invasive freshwater species in Europe (Devin et al 2003; Van Riel et al 2006) and has carried its microsporidian parasites during its rapid expansion into the main water bodies of Europe (Wattier et al 2007; Ovcharenko et al 2009). Surveillance and early detection of parasites after ecological changes is important to detect potential emerging disease (Woolhouse, 2002).…”

Pathogens co-transported with invasive non-native aquatic species: implications for risk analysis and legislation

“…The killer shrimp, Dikerogammarus villosus, invaded the UK in 2010, carrying the gregarine protists Uradiophora longissima and Cephaloidophora mucronata characterised from Polish freshwaters (Ovcharenko et al 2009;Bojko et al 2013). Gregarines are common commensal organisms of invertebrates that cover a wide symbiotic to parasitic spectrum (Rueckert et al 2019) and undergo sexual reproduction in the animal gut, releasing spores into the environment that are consumed by other organisms.…”

Amphipod parasites may bias results of ecotoxicological research

“…Amphipods host a variety of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and uni-and multicellular parasites (e.g. Ovcharenko et al 2008, Bojko et al 2013, Grabner et al 2015, Grabner 2017, among which acanthocephalans and microsporidians have been studied in more detail, also concerning their effects on metabolism and stress response of their host (e.g. Sures & Radszuweit 2007, Gismondi et al 2012b−e, Grabner et al 2014, Chen et al 2015.…”