Kudoa hypoepicardialis and associated cardiac lesions in invasive red lionfish Pterois volitans in Grenada, West Indies

Ethan T. Woodyard; Arielle E. Bierman; Jonnel J. Edwards; J. Christine Finney; Thomas G. Rosser; Matt J. Griffin; David P. Marancik

doi:10.3354/dao03663

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Diseases of Aquatic Organisms

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DAO 149:97-108 (2022) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03663

Kudoa hypoepicardialis and associated cardiac lesions in invasive red lionfish Pterois volitans in Grenada, West Indies

Ethan T. Woodyard¹, Arielle E. Bierman², Jonnel J. Edwards², J. Christine Finney³, Thomas G. Rosser⁴, Matt J. Griffin¹, David P. Marancik^2,*

¹Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762, USA
²Department of Pathobiology, St. George’s University, School of Veterinary Medicine, True Blue, Grenada, West Indies
³Eco Dive, Grand Anse, Grenada, West Indies
⁴Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762, USA

*Corresponding author: dmaranci@sgu.edu

ABSTRACT: Invasive red lionfish Pterois volitans (Linnaeus, 1758) represent an ongoing ecological threat within temperate and tropical waters. Relatively little is known regarding the overall health of P. volitans and their potential for spreading pathogens in non-native regions. Lionfish collected from inshore reefs of Grenada, West Indies, in 2019 and 2021 were identified as P. volitans based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 barcoding. Gross and microscopic examination of tissues revealed myxozoan plasmodia in the hearts of 24/76 (31.6%) lionfish by histopathology or wet mount cytology. Further histopathologic examination revealed severe granulomatous inflammation and myofiber necrosis associated with developing plasmodia and presporogonic life stages. Fresh myxospores were morphologically and molecularly consistent with Kudoa hypoepicardialis, being quadrate in apical view with 4 valves and 4 equal polar capsules. The spore body was 5.1-7.9 (mean: 6.0) µm long, 8.1-9.8 (8.7) µm wide, and 6.9-8.5 (7.7) µm thick. Polar capsules were 2.3-2.7 (2.5) µm long and 0.9-1.6 (1.3) µm wide. 18S small subunit rDNA sequences were 99.81-99.87% similar to sequence data from the original description of the species. Novel 28S large subunit rDNA and elongation factor 2 data, which did not match any previously reported species, were provided. This is the first account of a myxozoan parasite of P. volitans, a new host record and locality for K. hypoepicardialis, and one of few reports describing pathogen-associated lesions in invasive lionfish.

KEY WORDS: Kudoa hypoepicardialis · Lionfish · Pterois volitans · Myxozoan · Invasive species

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Cite this article as: Woodyard ET, Bierman AE, Edwards JJ, Finney JC, Rosser TG, Griffin MJ, Marancik DP (2022) Kudoa hypoepicardialis and associated cardiac lesions in invasive red lionfish Pterois volitans in Grenada, West Indies. Dis Aquat Org 149:97-108. https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03663

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DAO 149:97-108 (2022) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03663

Kudoa hypoepicardialis and associated cardiac lesions in invasive red lionfish Pterois volitans in Grenada, West Indies

Ethan T. Woodyard1, Arielle E. Bierman2, Jonnel J. Edwards2, J. Christine Finney3, Thomas G. Rosser4, Matt J. Griffin1, David P. Marancik2,*

Ethan T. Woodyard¹, Arielle E. Bierman², Jonnel J. Edwards², J. Christine Finney³, Thomas G. Rosser⁴, Matt J. Griffin¹, David P. Marancik^2,*