Hematodinium perezi

{{Short description|Species of single-celled organism}}

{{Italic title}}

{{Taxobox

| name = Hematodinium perezi

| domain = Eukaryota

| unranked_regnum = SAR

| unranked_superphylum = Alveolata

| phylum = Dinoflagellata

| classis = Dinophyceae

| ordo = Peridiniales

| familia = Syndiniaceae

| genus = Hematodinium

| species = H. perezi

| binomial = Hematodinium perezi

| binomial_authority = Chatton & Poisson, 1931

}}

Hematodinium perezi is a pathogenic dinoflagellate parasite that infects crustaceans, including the Blue Crab and Norway Lobster and has been observed to have a significant impact on crustacean fisheries.{{cite journal | url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31394065/ | pmid=31394065 | year=2019 | last1=Huang | first1=Q. | last2=Li | first2=M. | last3=Wang | first3=F. | last4=Li | first4=C. | title=The parasitic dinoflagellate Hematodinium perezi infecting mudflat crabs, Helice tientsinensis, in polyculture system in China | journal=Journal of Invertebrate Pathology | volume=166 | page=107229 | doi=10.1016/j.jip.2019.107229 | s2cid=199503609 }} Infected crustaceans frequently show signs of weakness and lethargy, and often die due to stress-related handling from fishing as well as metabolic exhaustion due to reduced feeding.[https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/aah-saa/diseases-maladies/hphacb-eng.html Government of Canada-Hematodinium perezi and Hematodinium sp. of Atlantic Crabs This parasite is known to be quite transmissible between various crustacean hosts.[http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mb/sk/saltonstallken/perezi.htm NOAA Fisheries-The Epizootiology of Hematodinium perezi]

H. perezi is the type species of the genus Hematodinium, and H. perezi has only recently been identified as the specific parasitic cause of Bitter Crab Disease. In the east coast of the United States, the disease is most prevalent in the autumn months when the species blooms off the Mid-Atlantic coast.{{Cite journal |last1=Newman |first1=Martin W. |last2=Johnson |first2=Charles A. |date=June 1975 |title=A Disease of Blue Crabs (Callinectes sapidus) Caused by a Parasitic Dinoflagellate, Hematodinium sp. |journal=The Journal of Parasitology |volume=61 |issue=3 |pages=554–7 |doi=10.2307/3279346 |jstor=3279346|doi-access=free }} Infected crabs have been observed to have mortality rates as high as 86 percent after only a few weeks, and infection is found to be more prevalent in higher salinity waters towards the mouth of the bay where Callinectes go to spawn, generally 12 PSU and up.{{Cite journal |last1=Messick |first1=Gretchen A. |last2=Shields |first2=Jeffrey D. |date=14 November 2000 |title=Epizootiology of the parasitic dinoflagellate Hematodinium sp. in the American blue crab Callinectes sapidus* |url=https://www.int-res.com/articles/dao/43/d043p139.pdf |url-status=live |journal=Diseases of Aquatic Organisms |volume=43 |issue=2 |pages=139–52 |pmid=11145454 |doi=10.3354/dao043139 |s2cid=17321334 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119170144/https://www.int-res.com/articles/dao/43/d043p139.pdf |archive-date=19 January 2022 |access-date=2 September 2023 |doi-access=free}}

H. perezi demonstrates tropism for the hemolymph of crabs and diagnosis of Hematodinium infection can be made with through microscopic visualization of the parasite in prepared slides.{{Cite journal |last1=Stentiford |first1=Grant D. |last2=Shields |first2=Jeffrey D. |date=2005-08-09 |title=A review of the parasitic dinoflagellates Hematodinium species and Hematodinium-like infections in marine crustaceans |url=https://scholarworks.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2612&context=vimsarticles |journal=Diseases of Aquatic Organisms |volume=66 |issue=1 |pages=47–70 |doi=10.3354/dao066047 |issn=0177-5103 |pmid=16175968|doi-access=free }}