Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Early Benthic Stages; St-Lawrence; Dinoflagellate Infection; Southern Gulf; Bonne Bay; Bairdi; Prevalence; Maturity; Host; Temperature
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Animal Sciences
Epidemiological Determinants In Outbreaks Of Bitter Crab Disease (Hematodinium Sp.) In Snow Crabs Chionoecetes Opilio From Conception Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, Jeffrey D. Shields, Dm Taylor, Pg O'Keefe, E Colbourne, E Hynick
Epidemiological Determinants In Outbreaks Of Bitter Crab Disease (Hematodinium Sp.) In Snow Crabs Chionoecetes Opilio From Conception Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, Jeffrey D. Shields, Dm Taylor, Pg O'Keefe, E Colbourne, E Hynick
VIMS Articles
Bitter crab disease (BCD) is caused by Hematodinium sp., an endoparasitic dinoflagellate. It lives within the hemocoeloms of snow crabs Chionoecetes opilio and Tanner crabs C. bairdi, making them unmarketable due to their bitter flavor. Two recent outbreaks of BCD have occurred in Conception Bay, Newfoundland, one from 1999 to 2000 and another from 2003 to 2005. In the earlier outbreak, prevalence was highest in juvenile and primiparous females and juvenile males. It was thought to be highest in these hosts because they molt more frequently than larger males and the disease is transmitted to newly molted crabs. In the …