Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T04:18:34.351Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Suspected viral erythrocytic necrosis (VEN) in a juvenile blackbar triggerfish, Rhinecanthus aculeatus, from Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 September 2009

Angela J. Davies ,
Lynda Curtis ,
Alexandra S. Grutter  and
Nico J. Smit
Angela J. Davies*
Affiliation:
School of Life Sciences, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, UK Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
Lynda Curtis
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Alexandra S. Grutter
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Nico J. Smit
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: A.J. Davies, School of Life Sciences, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, UK email: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Suspected viral erythrocytic necrosis (VEN) was detected in blood films from an immature blackbar triggerfish, Rhinecanthus aculeatus, captured on a patch reef at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef in November 2005, probably the first record of such an infection from Australia. The fish was kept in captivity and sampled intermittently until December 2007. Giemsa-stained blood films showed initially ~18% of mature erythrocytes affected by the VEN-like condition, but accompanying erythroblasts appeared free from infection. Erythrocytes with VEN-like bodies were smooth or crenated in outline, while the inclusion bodies were intracytoplasmic, single or paired, round in outline, stained deep magenta and were between 0.5–1.7 μm across. Bodies associated with clouds of granular material, fine eosinophilic haloes, and distinct pink-stained comet-tails, were also observed. The DNA content of the VEN-like bodies was confirmed by their green fluorescence following acridine orange staining. Infection levels in this fish fell to 0.4% of mature erythrocytes by May 2006 and persisted at this level until December 2007, when the fish died after just over two years in captivity. Squashes of haematophagous, juvenile gnathiid isopods taken from this fish on initial capture, also contained eosinophilic VEN-like bodies within digesting erythrocytes, suggesting that these crustaceans may be vectors of the condition observed.

Keywords

suspected viral erythrocytic necrosis (VEN)blackbar triggerfishRhinecanthus aculeatusGreat Barrier Reef
Type
Research Article
Information
Marine Biodiversity Records , Volume 2 , January 2009 , e149
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Ahne, W. (1985) Argulus foliaceus L. and Piscicola geometra L. as mechanical vectors of spring viraemia of carp virus (SVCV). Journal of Fish Diseases 8, 241–242.Google Scholar
CABI (2006) Datasheet on Virus Erythrocytic Necrosis [original text by P Hershberger]. In Aquaculture compendium. Online at: www.cabicompendium.org/ac and CD. Wallingford, UK: CABI.Google Scholar
Davies, A.J. and Merrett, N. (1998) Presumptive viral erythrocytic necrosis in the benthopelagic fish Coryphaenoides (Nematonurus) armatus from the abyss west of Portugal. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 78, 1031–1034.Google Scholar
Davies, A.J. and Merrett, N. (2000) Haemogregarines and other blood infections from deep demersal fish of the Porcupine Seabight, north-east Atlantic. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 80, 1095–1102.Google Scholar
Davies, A.J. and Smit, N.J. (2001) The life cycle of Haemogregarina bigemina (Adeleina: Haemogregarinidae) in South African hosts. Folia Parasitologica 48, 169–177.Google Scholar
Eiras, J.C., Costa, G., Biscoito, M. and Davies, A.J. (1996) Suspected viral erythrocytic necrosis (VEN) in the intertidal fish Mauligobius maderensis from Madeira, Portugal. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 76, 545–548.Google Scholar
Grutter, A.S. (2002) Cleaning behaviour: from the parasite's perspective. Parasitology 124, S65–S81.Google Scholar
Hershberger, P., Hart, A., Gregg, J., Elder, N. and Winton, J. (2006) Dynamics of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia, viral erythrocytic necrosis and ichthyophoniasis in confined juvenile Pacific herring Clupea pallasii. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 70, 201–208.Google Scholar
Hyatt, A.D., Gould, A.R., Zupanovic, Z., Cunningham, A.A., Hengstberger, S., Whittington, R.J., Kattenbelt, J. and Coupar, B.E.H. (2000) Comparative studies of piscine and amphibian iridoviruses. Archives of Virology 145, 301–331.Google Scholar
Johnston, M.R.L. and Davies, A.J. (1973) A Pirhemocyton-like parasite of the blenny, Blennius pholis L. (Teleostei; Blenniidae) and its relationship to Immanoplasma Neumann, 1909. International Journal for Parasitology 3, 235–241.Google Scholar
Pallister, J., Gould, A., Harrison, D., Hyatt, A., Jancovitch, J. and Helne, H. (2007) Development of real-time PCR assays for the detection and differentiation of Australian and European ranaviruses. Journal of Fish Diseases 30, 427–438.Google Scholar
Smail, D.A. and Munro, A.L.S. (2001) The virology of teleosts. In Roberts, R.J. (ed.) Fish pathology. 3rd edition. London: W.B. Saunders, pp. 169–253.Google Scholar
Smit, N.J., Grutter, A.S., Adlard, R. and Davies, A.J. (2006) Hematozoa of teleosts from Lizard Island, Australia with some comments on their possible mode of transmission and the description of a new hemogregarine species. Journal of Parasitology 92, 778–788.Google Scholar