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Is Marine Dispersion of the Lethargic Crab Disease Possible? Assessing the Tolerance of Exophiala cancerae to a Broad Combination of Salinities, Temperatures, and Exposure Times

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Abstract

Since 1997, an emergent fungal disease named lethargic crab disease (LCD) has decimated stocks of the edible mangrove land crab Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763) (Brachyura: Ocypodidae) along the Brazilian coast, threatening the mangrove ecosystem and causing socioeconomic impacts. Evidence from a variety of sources suggests that the black yeast Exophiala cancerae (Herpotrichiellaceae, Chaetothyriales) has been responsible for such epizootic events. Based on the spatiotemporal patterns of the LCD outbreaks, the well-established surface ocean currents, and the range of ecological traits of Exophiala spp., a marine dispersal hypothesis may be proposed. Using in vitro experiments, we tested the survival and growth of E. cancerae CBS 120420 in a broad combination of salinities, temperatures, and exposure times. While variation in salinity did not significantly affect the growth of colony-forming units (CFUs) (P > 0.05), long exposure times visibly influenced an increase in CFUs growth (P < 0.05). However, higher temperature (30 °C) caused a reduction of about 1.2-fold in CFUs growth (P < 0.05). This result suggests that sea surface temperatures either above or below the optimum growth range of E. cancerae could play a key role in the apparent north–south limits in the geographical distribution of LCD outbreaks. In light of our results, we conclude that a fundamental step toward the understanding of LCD epidemiological dynamics should comprise a systematic screening of E. cancerae in estuarine and coastal waters.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Robert W. Pilchowski (GIA, UFPR) for supplying the seawater used in the in vitro experiments, and Marcio R. Pie (Department of Zoology, UFPR) for advice in the experimental design and statistical analysis. This study was supported by the Companhia de Desenvolvimento Industrial e de Recursos Minerais de Sergipe (CODISE) (Sergipe, Brazil), the Secretaria de Estado da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior do Estado do Paraná (SETI) (Paraná, Brazil), and also by a grant to WAB and a Postdoctoral Fellowship to ROR under the project entitled “Exploring a new paradigm for the evolution of host-parasites associations,” number 404344/2013-5 of the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Brazil) (http://www.cnpq.br).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Molecular Ecology and Evolutionary Parasitology, Department of Zoology, Federal University of Paraná, P.O. Box 19073, Curitiba, Paraná, CEP 81531-980, Brazil

    Raphael Orélis-Ribeiro & Walter A. Boeger

  2. Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, CEP 81531-990, Brazil

    Vânia A. Vicente

  3. Integrated Group on Aquaculture and Environmental Studies, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, CEP 80035-040, Brazil

    Antonio Ostrensky & Marcelo A. Chammas

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  1. Raphael Orélis-Ribeiro
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  2. Vânia A. Vicente
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  3. Antonio Ostrensky
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  4. Marcelo A. Chammas
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  5. Walter A. Boeger
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Correspondence to Raphael Orélis-Ribeiro.

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Orélis-Ribeiro, R., Vicente, V.A., Ostrensky, A. et al. Is Marine Dispersion of the Lethargic Crab Disease Possible? Assessing the Tolerance of Exophiala cancerae to a Broad Combination of Salinities, Temperatures, and Exposure Times. Mycopathologia 182, 997–1004 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-017-0169-x

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