Bald sea urchin disease
Encyclopedia
Bald sea urchin disease is a bacteria
l disease
known to affect several species of sea urchin
s on Mediterranean Sea
, North Atlantic and California
coastlines. Research suggests two pathogens are responsible for the disease, Listonella anguillarum and Aeromonas salmonicida
.
Infection generally occurs at the site of an existing physical injury. The affected area turns green and spines and other appendages are lost. If the lesion remains shallow and covers less than 30% of the animal's surface area, the animal tends to survive and eventually regenerates any lost tissue. However if the damage is more extensive or so deep that the hard inner test
is perforated, the disease is fatal.
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
l disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
known to affect several species of sea urchin
Sea urchin
Sea urchins or urchins are small, spiny, globular animals which, with their close kin, such as sand dollars, constitute the class Echinoidea of the echinoderm phylum. They inhabit all oceans. Their shell, or "test", is round and spiny, typically from across. Common colors include black and dull...
s on Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, North Atlantic and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
coastlines. Research suggests two pathogens are responsible for the disease, Listonella anguillarum and Aeromonas salmonicida
Aeromonas salmonicida
Aeromonas salmonicida is a species of Gram-negative bacteria, from the genus Aeromonas, which causes the disease furunculosis in marine and freshwater fish.-Cell structure and metabolism:...
.
Infection generally occurs at the site of an existing physical injury. The affected area turns green and spines and other appendages are lost. If the lesion remains shallow and covers less than 30% of the animal's surface area, the animal tends to survive and eventually regenerates any lost tissue. However if the damage is more extensive or so deep that the hard inner test
Test (biology)
A test is a term used to refer to the shell of sea urchins, and also the shell of certain microorganisms, such as testate foraminifera and testate amoebae....
is perforated, the disease is fatal.
Affected species
- Allocentrotus fragilis
- Arbacia lixulaArbacia lixulaThe Black Sea Urchin, Arbacia lixula is a Sea Urchin found on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and Macaronesian Islands , and less commonly, on the Atlantic coast of Western Africa and the Brazilian coast....
- Cidaris cidaris
- Echinus esculentus
- Paracentrotus lividusParacentrotus lividusParacentrotus lividus is a species of sea urchin in the family Parechinidae commonly known as the purple sea urchin. It is the type species of the genus and occurs in the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean.-Description:...
- Psammechinus miliarisPsammechinus miliarisPsammechinus miliaris is a species of sea urchin in the family Parechinidae. It is sometimes known as the green sea urchin or shore sea urchin. It is found in shallow areas of the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea.-Description:...
- Sphaerechinus granularisSphaerechinus granularisSphaerechinus granularis is a species of sea urchin in the family Toxopneustidae, commonly known as the purple sea urchin. Its range includes the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean.-Description:...
- Strongylocentrotus droebachiensisStrongylocentrotus droebachiensisStrongylocentrotus droebachiensis is commonly known as the green sea urchin because of its characteristic green color. It has the longest genus-species names in the animal kingdom...
- Strongylocentrotus franciscanus
- Strongylocentrotus purpuratusStrongylocentrotus purpuratusThe purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, lives along the eastern edge of the Pacific Ocean extending from Ensenada, Mexico to British Columbia, Canada. This sea urchin species is deep purple in color and lives in lower intertidal and nearshore subtidal communities...