Haemogregarines and other blood infections from deep demersal fish of the Porcupine Seabight, north-east Atlantic

• Published in: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
• Main Authors: Davies, A.J., Merrett, N.R.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2000
• Subjects: Porcupine Seabight; North East Atlantic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315400003167; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315400003167

Giemsa-stained blood smears were examined from 70 deep demersal fish of 27 species in 20 genera, trawled from depths of 747–4143 m in the region of the Porcupine Seabight, north-east Atlantic. Infections were found in four species of teleosts in three families: 1/3 Alepocephalus rostratus and 1/3 Narcetes stomias (Alepocephalidae); 2/3 Antimora rostrata (Moridae); and 1/1 Cataetyx laticeps (Bythitidae) . Blood films from C. laticeps and Antimora rostrata were well preserved but those from the other two species were less satisfactory. The blood parasites included two types of haemogregarines, Haemohormidium -like and viral erythrocytic necrosis (VEN) - like infections. Haemogregarina ( sensu lato ) johnstoni sp. nov. was described from C. laticeps captured at 1541 m. This haemogregarine was unusual in apparently having dimorphic gamonts, some with prominent caps. A second, but monomorphic, haemogregarine found in Alepocephalus rostratus captured from 985 m, was named as Desseria sp. since only extracellular stages were observed. Haemohormidium -like organisms were found in Antimora rostrata taken from 2441 m, and were similar to those described previously from this deep-sea fish. A VEN-like infection from one N. stomias captured from 2567 m was reported. No marked effects on host cells were evident in any of these blood infections.