Molecular detection of apicomplexan blood parasites of coral reef fishes from free-living stages of ectoparasitic gnathiid isopods

Sikkel, Paul C.; Pagan, J. Andres; Santos, Joana L.; Hendrick, Gina C.; Nicholson, Matthew D.; Xavier, Raquel

doi:10.1007/s00436-020-06676-6

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…In future studies, host traits that affect both the feeding success by gnathiids and the establishment of subsequent infections by pathogens must be investigated. The high diversity of blood parasites infecting numerous Caribbean coral reef shes (Cook et al 2015;Sikkel et al 2020), the variety of sh pathogens previously detected within larval stages of gnathiid isopods, and the host breadth reported here suggest potential major implications for epidemiological cycles in coral reef ecosystems.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

“…While previous sampling efforts suggest that G. marleyi is the predominant species at our study sites (Farquharson et al 2012), conventional identi cation methods rely heavily on morphology of adult males (Smit and Davies 2004). Recent COI (cox1) barcoding of gnathiids collected in the region suggest the possibility of additional, but rare, Gnathia species (Sikkel et al 2020;Pagán et al 2020).…”

Section: Gnathiid Isopodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, these methods likely misrepresent natural patterns of host exploitation, as they rely on the opportunistic capture of potential hosts, which gnathiids can abandon when the sh is captured (Grutter 1995(Grutter , 1996Sikkel et al 2004). Because most of the gnathiid life cycle is spent free living, this limitation can be overcome by sequencing host DNA within blood meals of wild-caught gnathiids ( (Hendrick et al 2019;Sikkel et al 2020). However, to our knowledge, no study has compared these data to assemblages of available host sh.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Blood meal identification reveals extremely broad host range and host-bias in a temporary ectoparasite of coral reef fishes

Hendrick,

Nicholson,

Pagan

et al. 2023

Oecologia

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Appreciation for the role of cryptofauna in ecological systems has increased dramatically over the past decade. The impacts blood-feeding arthropods, such as ticks and mosquitos, have on terrestrial communities are the subject of hundreds of papers annually. However, blood-feeding arthropods have been largely ignored in marine environments. Gnathiid isopods, often referred to as "ticks of the sea", are temporary external parasites of shes. They are found in all marine environments and have many consequential impacts on host tness. Because they are highly mobile and only associated with their hosts while obtaining a blood meal, their broader trophic connections are di cult to discern. Conventional methods rely heavily on detecting gnathiids on wild-caught shes. However, this approach typically yields few gnathiids and does not account for hosts that avoid capture. To overcome this limitation, we sequenced blood meals of free-living gnathiids collected in light traps to assess the host range and community-dependent exploitation of Caribbean gnathiid isopods. Using sh-speci c COI (cox1) primers, sequencing individual blood meals from 1,060 gnathiids resulted in the identi cation of 70 host sh species from 27 families. Comparisons of sh assemblages to blood meal identi cation frequencies at four collection sites indicated that shes within the families Haemulidae (grunts) and Lutjanidae (snappers) were exploited more frequently than expected based on their biomass, and Labrid parrot shes were exploited less frequently than expected. The broad host range along with the biased exploitation of diel-migratory species has important implications for the role gnathiid isopods play in Caribbean coral reef communities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

Section: Gnathiid Isopodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Blood meal identification reveals extremely broad host range and host-bias in a temporary ectoparasite of coral reef fishes

Hendrick,

Nicholson,

Pagan

et al. 2023

Oecologia

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“…Potential vectors include ectoparasites such as leeches and gnathiids, as each have been documented as vectors of blood-borne apicomplexans before 22–24 . Gnathiid isopods represent the most likely vectors for these parasites as ichthyocolids 18S rRNA sequence reads have been recovered from them directly and is an avenue of future exploration 25 .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Potential vectors include ectoparasites such as leeches and gnathiids, as each have been documented as vectors of blood-borne apicomplexans before 22,23,24 . Gnathiid isopods represent the most likely vectors for these parasites as ichthyocolids 18S rRNA sequence reads have been recovered from them directly and is an avenue of future exploration 25 . Using genetic information retrieved from the hybrid-read assembled metagenome of parasite-infected fish blood and phylogenetic analyses we have been able to classify the Haemogregarine-like parasite of O. macclurei as a member of a new clade of fish-infecting apicomplexans we refer to as the ichthyocolids.…”

Section: Apicomplexamentioning

confidence: 99%

A new and widespread group of fish apicomplexan parasites

Bonacolta,

Krause,

Smit

et al. 2024

Preprint

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SummaryApicomplexans are obligate intracellular parasites which have evolved from a free-living, phototrophic ancestor. Well-known representatives includePlasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, and the gregarines which infect a vast number of marine invertebrates. Apicomplexans have been reported from marine environmental samples in high numbers1, with several clades of Apicomplexan-Related Lineages (ARLs) having been described from environmental sequencing data (SSU rRNA metabarcoding)2. The most notable of these being the corallicolids (previously known as ARL-V) which possess chlorophyll-biosynthesis genes in their relic chloroplast (apicoplast) and are geographically wide-spread and abundant symbionts of anthozoans3.Ophioblennius macclurei, the redlip blenny, along with other tropical reef fishes, is known to be infected byHaemogregarina-like andHaemohormidium-like parasites4; however previous phylogenetic work using the 18S rRNA genes shows these parasites to be distinct from where they are classified morphologically5,6and instead related to the Coccidia. Hybrid genomic sequencing incorporating Oxford Nanopore Technologies long reads and Illumina short reads of apicomplexan-infectedO. macclureiblood was carried out to retrieve more genetic information on these parasites. Using this approach, we were able to recover the entire rRNA operon of this apicomplexan parasite along with the complete mitochondrion and apicoplast genomes. Phylogenetic analyses using this new genomic information consistently place these fish-infecting apicomplexans, hereby informally named ichthyocolids, sister to the corallicolids within Coccidia. The apicoplast genome did not contain chlorophyll biosynthesis genes, providing evidence for another independent loss of this pathway within Apicomplexa. Based on the 16S rRNA gene found in the apicoplast, this group corresponds to the previously described ARL-VI. Screening of fish microbiome studies using the plastid 16S rRNA gene shows these parasites to be geographically and taxonomically widespread in fish species across the globe with potentially major implications for commercial fisheries and oceanic food webs.

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Differentially susceptible host fishes exhibit similar chemo-attractiveness to a common coral reef Ectoparasite

et al. 2020

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Molecular detection of apicomplexan blood parasites of coral reef fishes from free-living stages of ectoparasitic gnathiid isopods

Cited by 8 publications

References 27 publications

Blood meal identification reveals extremely broad host range and host-bias in a temporary ectoparasite of coral reef fishes

Blood meal identification reveals extremely broad host range and host-bias in a temporary ectoparasite of coral reef fishes

A new and widespread group of fish apicomplexan parasites

Differentially susceptible host fishes exhibit similar chemo-attractiveness to a common coral reef Ectoparasite

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