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THE FUNGUS LAGENIDIUM CALLINECTES COUCH (1942) ON EGGS OF THE BLUE CRAB IN CHESAPEAKE BAY

1948; Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL); Volume: 95; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/1538026

1939-8697

R. Rogers‐Talbert,

Parasite Biology and Host Interactions

1. The fungus parasite Lagenidium callinectes Couch has been observed to be a peripheral parasite of egg masses of the blue crabs of Chesapeake Bay.2. Blue crab eggs are susceptible to infection in all stages of their development. Infected areas of a sponge are brown or gray in appearance, depending on the age of the eggs.3. While the fungus spreads rapidly over the surface of the sponge, it penetrates the egg mass very slowly. Usually the depth of infection is not over 3 mm.4. Infection is heavier in older sponges which are brown and black than in younger yellow ones, probably due to the longer exposure of older sponges.5. Peripheral infection does not seem to retard the development of crab eggs in the interior of the sponge, which far outnumber the peripheral eggs. Not over 25 per cent of the eggs of a heavily diseased sponge are infected and only about 14 per cent of the crabs were found to be heavily infected. However, it was not unusual to find 80 or 90 per cent of the crabs in a sample to have some degree of infection.6. Under laboratory conditions, transmission of infection from egg to egg of the same and different blue crabs is unexpectedly rapid.7. Development of the fungus was observed to be abnormal in fresh pond water. In salinities from 5 to 30 p.p.t. development proceeded rapidly and indicated a strong tolerance of changes in salt concentration.8. Frequently occurring on the peripheral eggs with Lagenidium callinectes are Carchesium sp., Ephelota sp., and Chlamydobacterium sp. Carcinonemertes carcinophila Kölliker is present and shows periodic fluctuations similar to the fungus.9. Eggs of the oyster crab and the mud crab became infected with L. callinectes under laboratory conditions.10. The Hampton Roads-Lynnhaven waters is the area in Chesapeake Bay where L. callinectes is most common. Only slight infection was observed north of Buckroe Beach.