Affiliation:
1. Aquatic Ecology and Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
Abstract
The release of ornamental pets outside their native range can directly or indirectly impact the recipient community, e.g. via the co-introduction of associated pathogens. However, studies on parasites associated with non-native species, in particular freshwater decapods, have focused mainly on a limited set of pathogens. Here we provide data for the first time on microsporidian parasites of the non-native ornamental shrimp Neocaridina davidi, collected in a stream in Germany. Furthermore, we confirm an ongoing range expansion of the warm-adapted N. davidi from thermally polluted colder water. In the investigated shrimps, the microsporidian parasite Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei and an unknown microsporidian isolate were detected, raising concerns about their transmission potential and pathogenicity on native crustacean species.
Publisher
Inter-Research Science Center
Subject
Aquatic Science,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics