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First report of Crassiphiala sp. (Trematoda: Diplostomidae) as an etiological agent of black spot disease in commercial ornamental fish from Brazil

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Abstract

Ornamental fish are becoming increasingly popular, but the lack of knowledge regarding their various diseases is a major challenge. Skin diseases commonly found in freshwater fish include black spot disease (BSD), which is characterized by melanin deposits around the metacercariae of some trematode species. Since BSD remains poorly understood, this study describes an outbreak of BSD in Etroplus maculatus raised in outdoor ponds at a Brazilian fish farm. Metacercariae samples were collected, examined, and subjected to molecular phylogenetic analysis. The parasites were conspecific to an unnamed species, Crassiphiala lineage 5, recently found in Brazilian birds (Megaceryle torquata). Sequences obtained for longifurcate cercariae of the planorbid snail Biomphalaria straminea from the same region were identical to our metacercariae of Crassiphiala sp. These results suggest that Biompahalaria snails are likely an intermediate host of this parasite on farms where E. maculatus was found to be infected. We provide the first molecular evidence that Crassiphiala are the causative agents of BSD in fish from Brazil. Combatting snails and preventing access of fish-eating birds to outdoor ponds are strategies to control this disease in ornamental fish farms.

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Data is available upon reasonable request from the first author or the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq; research scholarship to HAP).

Funding

This work was supported in part by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq; research scholarship to HAP).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Parasitology - Biology of Trematodes Laboratory, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

    Danimar López-Hernández & Hudson Alves Pinto

  2. Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine - Aquatic Animal Diseases Laboratory, Veterinary School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos, 6627, São Luiz, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

    Marcia Pimenta Leibowitz & Carlos Augusto Gomes Leal

  3. Dead Sea & Arava Science Center, Central Arava Branch, Moshav Hatzeva, Israel

    Marcia Pimenta Leibowitz

Authors
  1. Danimar López-Hernández
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  2. Marcia Pimenta Leibowitz
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  3. Hudson Alves Pinto
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  4. Carlos Augusto Gomes Leal
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Contributions

Danimar López-Hernández: acquisition of data, performed the experiments, analysis, and interpretation of results, and for drafting the article.

Marcia Pimenta Leibovitz: analysis and interpretation of results, drafting the article, and revising it critically for important intellectual content.

Hudson Alves Pinto: conception and design of the study, analysis, and interpretation of results, revising it critically for important intellectual content, and final approval of the version to be submitted.

Carlos Augusto Gomes Leal: conception and design of the study, supervision of the study, funding acquisition, revising it critically for important intellectual content, and final approval of the version to be submitted.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carlos Augusto Gomes Leal.

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Ethics approval

The study was approved by the Local Ethics Committee in Animal Experimentation (CEUA-UFMG, protocol 68/2017).

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All authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Section Editor: Guillermo Salgado-Maldonado

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López-Hernández, D., Leibowitz, M.P., Pinto, H.A. et al. First report of Crassiphiala sp. (Trematoda: Diplostomidae) as an etiological agent of black spot disease in commercial ornamental fish from Brazil. Parasitol Res 122, 1037–1042 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-023-07794-7

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