Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Opportunistic Infections in Elasmobranchs

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
The Rasputin Effect: When Commensals and Symbionts Become Parasitic

Part of the book series: Advances in Environmental Microbiology ((AEM,volume 3))

Abstract

This chapter describes factors potentially contributing to immunosuppression and thus opportunistic infections in captive and free-ranging cartilaginous fishes. The immune system in sharks is briefly discussed to show the similarities with higher vertebrates with the implications for comparable mechanisms governing immunosuppression. A brief description of stress as a factor inducing immunosuppression is provided. Potentially opportunistic infections with viruses, bacteria, algae, and parasites are discussed separately for elasmobranchs in captivity and in the wild, and their links with stress-inducing stimuli are suggested.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adams DH, Borucinska JD, Maillett K, Whitburn K, Sander TE (2015) Mortality due to a retained circle hook in a longfin mako shark Isurus paucus (Guitart-Manday). J Fish Dis 38:621–628

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson DP (1996) Environmental factors in fish health: immunological aspects. In: Iwama G, Nakanishi T (eds) The fish immune system. Academic, London, pp 289–305

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson ET, Frasca S Jr, Asakawa M, Fatzinger MH, Johnson J, Marchettere K, Goodale L, Risatti GR, Harms CA (2012) Splenic mycobacteriosis in an Atlantic guitarfish, Rhinobatos lentiginosus (Garman). J Fish Dis 35:541–544

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barton BA (2002) Stress in fishes: a diversity of responses with particular reference to changes in circulating corticosteroids. Integr Comp Biol 42:517–525

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bertone S, Gili C, Moizo A, Calegari L (1996) Vibrio carchariae associated with a chronic skin ulcer on a shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo). J Fish Dis 19:429–434

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bird PM (1978) Tissue regeneration in three carcharhinid sharks encircled by embedded straps. Copeia 2:345–349

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blasiola GC Jr, Turnier JC (1979) Algal infection of the sevengill shark Notorynchus maculatus. J Fish Dis 2:161–163

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blum P, Luer CA (1985) Observations on the occurrence of thyroid hyperplasia in captive sharks. Fla Sci 48:32

    Google Scholar 

  • Borucinska JD, Adams DH (2013) Parasitic metritis and oophoritis associated with nematode larvae in an Atlantic sharpnose shark (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae) collected in the western Atlantic off Florida. J Fish Dis 36:811–817

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borucinska JD, Frasca S Jr (2002) Naturally occurring lesions and microorganisms in two species of free-living sharks: the spiny (Squalus acanthias) and the less spotted (Mustelus canis) dogfish from the northwestern Atlantic. J Fish Dis 25:1–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borucinska JD, Heger K (1999) Disseminated granulomas in a shortfin mako shark associated with nematode larvae. J Wildl Dis 35:98–100

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borucinska JD, Martin J, Skomal G (2001) Peritonitis and pericarditis associated with gastric perforation by a retained fishing hook in a blue shark (Prionace glauca). J Aquat Anim Health 13:347–354

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borucinska JD, Kohler N, Natanson L, Skomal G (2002) Pathology associated with retained fishing hooks in blue sharks (Prionace glauca) (Linnaeus, 1758) with implications for their conservation. J Fish Dis 25:515–521

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borucinska JD, Harshbarger JC, Bogicevic T (2003) Hepatic cholangiocarcinoma and testicular mesothelioma in a wild-caught blue shark (Prionace glauca) (Linnaeus, 1758). J Fish Dis 26:43–49

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borucinska JD, Kotran K, Shackett M, Barker T (2009) Melanomacrophage cells in three species of free-ranging sharks from the northwestern Atlantic, the blue shark Prionacae glauca, the shortfin mako Isurus oxyrhinchus, and the thresher Alopias vulpinus. J Fish Dis 32:883–891

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Briones V, Fernandez A, Blanco M, Ramiro F, Garcia J, Mendez JL, Goyache J, De Vincente ML (1998) Hemorrhagic septicemia by Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida in a black-tip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus). Zentralblatt der Veterinärmedizin 45:443–445

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Callinan RB (1988) Diseases of Australian native fishes. In: Fish diseases: refresher course for veterinarians, Proceeding 106, pp 459–472. Post Graduate Committee of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Australia

    Google Scholar 

  • Camus A, Berliner A, Clauss T, Hatcher N, Marancik D (2013) Serratia marcescens associated ampullary system infection and septicaemia in a bonnethead shark, Sphyrna tiburo (L.). J Wildl Dis 36:891–895

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carson RL (1962) Silent spring. Riverside, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheung P (1993) Parasitic diseases of elasmobranchs. In: Stoskopf MK (ed) Fish medicine. W.B. Saunders, Philadelphia, PA, pp 782–808

    Google Scholar 

  • Clewley A, Kocan RM, Kocan AA (2002) An intraerythrocytic parasite from the spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias L., from the Pacific Northwest. J Wildl Dis 25:693–696

    Google Scholar 

  • Corsolini S, Focardi S, Kannan K, Tanabe S, Borrell A, Tatsukawa R (1995) Congener profile and toxicity assessment of polychlorinated biphenyls in dolphins, sharks and tuna collected from Italian coastal waters. Mar Environ Res 40:33–53

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Credille KM, Johnson L, Reimschuessel R (1993) Parasitic meningoencephalitis in nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum). J Wildl Dis 29:502–506

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Criscitiello MF (2014) What the shark immune system can and cannot provide for the expanding landscape of immune therapy. Expert Opin Drug Discov 9:725–739

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Crow GL, Atkinson MJ, Ron B, Atkinson S, Skillman AD, Wong GTF (1998) Relationship of water chemistry to serum thyroid hormones in captive sharks with goiters. Aquat Geochem 4:469–480

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dagleish MP, Baily JL, Foster G, Reid LJ, Barley J (2010) The first report of disease in a basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus). J Comp Pathol 143:284–288

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dooley H, Flajnik MF (2006) Antibody repertoire development in cartilaginous fish. Dev Comp Immunol 30:43–56

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Flewelling LJ, Adams DH, Naar JP, Atwood KE, Granholm AA, O’Dea SN, Landsberg JH (2010) Brevetoxins in sharks and rays (Chondrichthyes, Elasmobranchii) from Florida coastal waters. Mar Biol 157:1937–1953

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fries CR (1986) Effects of environmental stressors and immunosuppressants on immunity in Fundulus heteroclitus. Am Zool 26:271–282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garner MM (2013) A retrospective study of disease in elasmobranchs. Vet Pathol 50:377–389

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goerz CEC (2004) Protozoal diseases of elasmobranchs. In: Smith M, Warmolts D, Thoney D, Hueter R (eds) The elasmobranch husbandry manual: captive care of sharks, rays and their relatives. Ohio Biological Survey, Columbus, OH, pp 417–426

    Google Scholar 

  • Grimes DJ (1990) Review of human pathogenic bacteria in marine animals with emphasis on sharks. In: Elasmobranchs as living resources: advances in the biology, ecology, systematics, and the status of fisheries. NOAA Technical Report NMFS 90

    Google Scholar 

  • Grimes DJ, Stemmler J, Hada H, Maneval D, Hetrick FM, May EB, Jones RT, Stoskopf MK, Colwell RR (1984) Vibrio species associated with mortality of sharks held in captivity. Microb Ecol 10:271–282

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Grimes DJ, Gruber SH, May EB (1985) Experimental infection of lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris (Poey), with Vibrio species. J Fish Dis 8:173–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grimes DJ, Burgess J, Crunkleton JA Jr, Brayton PR, Colwell RR (1989) Potential invasive factors associated with Vibrio carchariae, an opportunistic pathogen for sharks. J Fish Dis 12:69–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harper C, Wolf JC (2009) Morphological effects of the stress response in fish. ILAR J 50:387–396

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Heupel MR, Benett MB (1997) Histology of dart tag insertion sites in the epaulette shark. J Fish Biol 50:1034–1041

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heupel MR, Simpfendorfer CA, Bennett MB (1998) Analysis of tissue responses to fin tagging in Australian carcharhinids. J Fish Biol 52:610–620

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hornung H, Krom MD, Cohen Y, Bernhard M (1993) Trace metal content in deep-water sharks from the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Mar Biol 115:331–338

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Janse M, Kik MJL (2012) Mycobacterium avium granulomas in a captive epaulette shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum). J Fish Dis 35:935–940

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Knight II, Grimes DJ, Colwell RR (1987) Bacterial hydrolysis of urea in the tissues of carcharhinid sharks. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 45:357–360

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Law LK, Thompson RC (2014) Microplastics in the seas. Science 345:144–145

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leibovitz L, Lebouitz SS (1985) A viral dermatitis of the smooth dogfish, Mustelus canis (Mitchill). J Fish Dis 8:273–279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luer CA, Walsh CJ, Bodine AB (2004) The immune system of sharks, skates and rays. In: Carrier JC, Musick JA, Heithaus MR (eds) Biology of sharks and their relatives. CRC, Washington, DC, pp 369–389

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyle JM (1986) Mercury and selenium concentrations in sharks from northern Australian waters. Aust J Mar Freshwat Res 37:309

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marancik DP, Berliner AL, Cavin JM, Clauss TM, Dove AD, Sutton DA, Wickes BL, Camus AC (2011) Disseminated fungal infection in two species of captive sharks. J Zoo Wildl Med 42:686–693

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marancik DP, Leary JH, Fast MM, Flajnik MF, Camus AC (2012) Humoral response of captive zebra sharks Stegostoma fasciatum to salivary gland proteins of the leech Branchellion torpedinis. Fish Shellfish Immunol 33:1000–1007

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marchalonis J, Schluter S, Bernstein RM, Hohman VS (1998) Antibodies of sharks: revolution and evolution. Immunol Rev 166:103–122

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Muhvich AG, Reimschuessel R, Lipsky MM, Bennett RO (1989) Fusarium solani isolated from newborn bonnethead sharks, Sphyrna tiburo (L.). J Fish Dis 12:57–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mylniczenko ND, Harris B, Wiborn RE, Young FA (2007) Blood culture results from healthy captive and free-ranging elasmobranchs. J Aquat Anim Health 19:159–167

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nam D, Adams DH, Reyier EA, Basu N (2011a) Mercury and selenium levels in lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) in relation to a harmful red tide event. Environ Monit Assess 176:549–559

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nam D, Adams DH, Flewelling LJ, Basu N (2011b) Neurochemical alterations in lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) brains associated with brevetoxin exposure. Aquat Toxicol 99:351–359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ostrander GK, Cheng KC, Wolf JC, Wolfe MJ (2004) Shark cartilage, cancer and the growing threat of pseudoscience. Cancer Res 64:8485–8491

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reif WE (1978) Wound healing in sharks. Zoomorphologie 90:101–111

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schaffer PA, Lifland B, Van Sommeran S, Casper DR, Davis CR (2013) Meningoencephalitis associated with Carnobacterium maltaromaticum-like bacteria in stranded juvenile salmon sharks (Lamna ditropis). Vet Pathol 50:412–417

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schreck CB (1996) Immunomodulation: endogenous factors. In: Iwama G, Nakanishi T (eds) The fish immune system. Academic, London, pp 311–327

    Google Scholar 

  • Selye H (1955) Stress and disease. Science 122:625–631

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smith M, Warmolts D, Thoney D, Heuter R (2004) The elasmobranch husbandry manual: captive care of sharks, rays, and their relatives. Ohio Biological Survey, Columbus, OH, pp 427–431

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith LE, Crouch K, Cao W, Müller MR, Wu L, Steven J, Lee M, Liang M, Flajnik MF, Shih HH, Barelle CJ, Paulsen J, Gill DS, Dooley H (2012) Characterization of the antibody repertoire of the spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias). Dev Comp Immunol 36:665–679

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stidworthy MF, Garner MM, Bradway DS, Westfall BD, Joseph B, Repetto S, Guglielmi E, Schmidt-Posthaus H, Thornton SM (2014) Systemic scuticocilliatosis (Philasterides dicentrarchi) in sharks. Vet Pathol 51:628–632

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stoskopf MK (1993) Fish medicine. W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia, PA

    Google Scholar 

  • Terrell SP (2004) An introduction to viral, bacterial, and fungal diseases of elasmobranchs. In: Smith M, Warmolts D, Thoney D, Hueter R (eds) The elasmobranch husbandry manual: captive care of sharks, rays, and their relatives. Ohio Biological Survey, Columbus, OH, pp 427–431

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Rijn JA, Reina R (2010) Distribution of leukocytes as indicators of stress in the Australian swellshark, Cephaloscyllium laticeps. Fish Shellfish Immunol 29:534–538

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Walsh CJ, Wyffels JT, Bodine AB, Luer CA (2002) Dexamethasone-induced apoptosis in immune cells from peripheral circulation and lymphomyeloid tissues of juvenile clearnose skates, Raja eglanteria. Dev Comp Immunol 26:623–633

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Walsh CJ, Luer CA, Bodine AB, Smith CA, Cox HL, Noyes DR, Gasparetto M (2006a) Elasmobranch immune cells as a source of novel tumor cell inhibitors: implications for public health. Integr Comp Biol 46:1072–1081

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Walsh CJ, Toranto JD, Gilliland CT, Noyes DR, Bodine AB, Luer CA (2006b) Nitric oxide production in nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum) and clearnose skate (Raja eglanteria) peripheral blood leucocytes. Fish Shellfish Immunol 20:40–46

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT, USA

    Joanna Borucinska

Authors
  1. Joanna Borucinska
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joanna Borucinska .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

    Christon J. Hurst

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Borucinska, J. (2016). Opportunistic Infections in Elasmobranchs. In: Hurst, C. (eds) The Rasputin Effect: When Commensals and Symbionts Become Parasitic. Advances in Environmental Microbiology, vol 3. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28170-4_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation