Lobster, Homarus americanus, Gastric Fluid Is a Barrier to the Ciliate, Anophryoides haemophila, in an in vitro Study

ABSTRACT

Ciliated protozoan disease caused by Anophryoides hae-mophila, also called “bumper car” disease, has been noted in impounded American lobsters, Homarus americanus, in the Gulf of Maine from 1990 to the present. One possible infection route for ciliated protozoan disease in the American lobster is through the digestive tract. The survival of A. haemophila in gastric fluid from healthy lobsters was tested in vitro. “Bumper cars” did not survive exposure to diluted gastric fluid for longer than one minute. Most ciliates (99%) died within 30 seconds of exposure to gastric fluid. All ciliates died within one minute. Disruption of the ciliate cuticle was apparent after two minutes. The cuticle was completely lysed in six minutes. All ciliates were digested in 8 minutes. These data suggest ciliate infection of American lobsters through the digestive tract is unlikely and cannibalism of infected lobsters is unlikely to result in transfer of the disease.