A morphological review and molecular characterization of Anilocra
haemuli Bunkley Williams & Williams, 1981, were completed using specimens collected from Haemulon
flavolineatum Desmarest, 1823 (French grunt) and Epinephelus
guttatus Linnaeus, 1758 (red hind). Molecular and morphological data suggest that the isopods parasitizing H.
flavolineatum and E.
guttatus are different species. The specimens collected from E.
guttatus are recognized as a new species, Anilocra
brillae
sp. n. Differences between Anilocra
brillae
sp. n. and A.
haemuli include but are not limited to the pleonites 1–3 of A.
brillae
sp. n. being wider than 4–5 and 4–5 subequal, whereas the pleonites 1–2 of A.
haemuli are wider than 3–5, and 3–5 are subequal. The seventh pereopod of A.
brillae
sp. n. is proportionally larger, has more robust setae, and the setae are distributed more extensively over the articles when compared to A.
haemuli. Additionally, this study provides the first genetic characterization of three Anilocra spp. from the Caribbean, and is based on mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit gene (COI) for A.
haemuli from H.
flavolineatum, A.
brillae
sp. n. from E.
guttatus, and A.
chromis Bunkley Williams & Williams, 1981 from Chromis
multilineata Guichenot, 1853.
Suspected viral erythrocytic necrosis (VEN) was detected in blood films from an immature blackbar triggerfish, Rhinecanthus aculeatus, captured on a patch reef at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef in November 2005, probably the first record of such an infection from Australia. The fish was kept in captivity and sampled intermittently until December 2007. Giemsa-stained blood films showed initially 18% of mature erythrocytes affected by the VEN-like condition, but accompanying erythroblasts appeared free from infection. Erythrocytes with VEN-like bodies were smooth or crenated in outline, while the inclusion bodies were intracytoplasmic, single or paired, round in outline, stained deep magenta and were between 0.5 -1.7 mm across. Bodies associated with clouds of granular material, fine eosinophilic haloes, and distinct pink-stained comet-tails, were also observed. The DNA content of the VEN-like bodies was confirmed by their green fluorescence following acridine orange staining. Infection levels in this fish fell to 0.4% of mature erythrocytes by May 2006 and persisted at this level until December 2007, when the fish died after just over two years in captivity. Squashes of haematophagous, juvenile gnathiid isopods taken from this fish on initial capture, also contained eosinophilic VEN-like bodies within digesting erythrocytes, suggesting that these crustaceans may be vectors of the condition observed.
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