Soft-Shell Clam, Mya arenaria, a Convenient Laboratory Animal for Screening Pathogens of Bivalve Mollusks

AUTOR(ES)

Tubiash, Haskell S.

RESUMO

Attempts to introduce infectious or foreign material into oysters and other bivalve mollusks usually involve force or trauma because of immediate, prolonged adduction of the tightly closing valves. The soft-shell clam, Mya arenaria, is unable to seal its valves completely and relaxes readily, exposing soft tissue and a large siphon. This species is free from fouling organisms and is readily available at all seasons in the New England and mid-Atlantic areas. Suspensions of five strains of Vibrio sp. that cause bacillary necrosis in larval and juvenile bivalve mollusks were injected into the heart, siphon tissue, and the incurrent and excurrent siphon lumina of soft-shell clams. All vibrio strains caused significant mortality, usually within 2 days. Heaviest losses resulted from heart and excurrent siphon injections. No mortality occurred in control clams injected with seawater, broth, Serratia sp., and Escherichia coli. The soft-shell clam appears to be a useful animal for testing the pathogenicity of marine microorganisms for bivalve mollusks.

Documentos Relacionados

• Isolation and Characterization of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from Cape Cod Soft-Shell Clams (Mya arenaria)
• Bioaccumulation and depuration of enteroviruses by the soft-shelled clam, Mya arenaria.
• Resistência do Abacaxizeiro 'Turiaçu' a Meloidogyne arenaria, M. enterolobii, M. incognita e M. javanica
• Accumulation and Elimination of Coliphage S-13 by the Hard Clam, Mercenaria mercenaria
• Interrelationships of Heterozygosity, Growth Rate and Heterozygote Deficiencies in the Coot Clam, Mulinia Lateralis