Small H J, Stentiford G D, Behringer D C, Freeman M A, Atherley N A M, Reece K S, Bateman K S, Shields J D
Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary, PO Box 1346, Gloucester Point, VA 23062, USA.
Dis Aquat Organ. 2019 Oct 30;136(3):209-218. doi: 10.3354/dao03406.
The Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus supports a large and valuable fishery in the Caribbean Sea. In 2007-2008, a rare microsporidian parasite with spore characteristics typical of the Ameson genus was detected in 2 spiny lobsters from southeast Florida (FL). However, the parasite species was not confirmed by molecular analyses. To address this deficiency, reported here are structural and molecular data on single lobsters displaying comparable 'cotton-like' abdominal muscle containing ovoid microsporidian spores found at different locations in FL in 2014 and 2018 and in Saint Kitts and Nevis Islands in 2017. In the lobster from 2014, multiple life stages consistent with an Ameson-like monokaryotic microsporidian were detected by transmission electron microscopy. A partial (1228 bp) small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequence showed each microsporidia to be identical and positioned it closest phylogenetically to Ameson pulvis in a highly supported clade also containing A. michaelis, A. metacarcini, A. portunus, and Nadelspora canceri. Using ecological, pathological, ultrastructural, and molecular data, the P. argus microsporidian has been assigned to a distinct species: Ameson herrnkindi.
加勒比刺龙虾（Panulirus argus）支撑着加勒比海一个规模庞大且价值不菲的渔业。在2007 - 2008年，从佛罗里达州东南部（FL）的2只刺龙虾中检测到一种罕见的微孢子虫寄生虫，其孢子特征具有典型的Ameson属特征。然而，该寄生虫物种未通过分子分析得到确认。为解决这一不足，本文报告了关于单只龙虾的结构和分子数据，这些龙虾在2014年和2018年于佛罗里达州不同地点以及2017年在圣基茨和尼维斯群岛被发现，其腹部肌肉呈现类似“棉花状”，含有卵形微孢子虫孢子。在2014年的龙虾中，通过透射电子显微镜检测到多个与类Ameson单核微孢子虫一致的生命阶段。一个部分（1228 bp）的小亚基（SSU）rRNA基因序列显示每个微孢子虫是相同的，并在系统发育上使其最接近Ameson pulvis，位于一个支持度很高的进化枝中，该进化枝还包含A. michaelis、A. metacarcini、A. portunus和Nadelspora canceri。利用生态、病理、超微结构和分子数据，已将P. argus微孢子虫归为一个独特的物种：Ameson herrnkindi。
