I found this infected individuum during routine processing samples from fishponds. I saw only one infected specimen in the sample. It was first time when I recognized something like that on cladocerans. Any idea about taxa group? Thank you a lot for any information.
Veronika
It may be Metschnikowia biscuspidata (= Monospora bicuspidata) which is a common fungal parasite of water fleas.
Veronika,
Please have a look at these useful links.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2043/
Article Temperature Drives Epidemics in a Zooplankton-Fungus Disease...
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f86e/492d62b299ef35e7f7175e274fed18dde72b.pdf
Good luck!
Dear Mr Sing and Mr Hamad,
First, I would like to say thank you for your advices and tips.
Next, I checked some photos of the Metschnikowia bicuspidata, but I don´t think it is the Metschnikowia, because the hyphae of my species look like more thick than the Metschnikowia hyphea. Overall, it looks like quiet different. However, it is only my opinion, because, unfortunatelly, I don´t have any experience with the aquatic fungi.
Best wishes,
Veronika
Veronika,
You may also check it as Saprolegnia because Daphnia is also infected by several species of Saprolegnia such as Saprolegnia diclina, Saprolegnia ferax and Saprolegnia australis. In addition to this, Pythium infections in Daphnia have been reported from USA and Europe.
Good luck!
Veronika,
Please also have a look at these useful publications.
Article Ecology, Virulence, and Phylogeny of Blastulidium paedophtho...
Article Aphanomyces daphniae sp.nov., parasitic on Daphnia hyalina
Good luck!
If you want to identify it, try to get it growing in culture (corn meal agar, malt extract agar or potato dextrose agar would all be good choice). Then get yourself an ITS sequence. Morphology alone (especially at that low magnification) is not going to allow you to narrow it down from all the many choices in the Kingdoms Fungi & Straminipila.
Mr Bournet,
Thank you very much for the advices. Unfortunately, this sample was fixed by formaldehyde. I have to take some live sample.
Best wishes,
Veronika
Veronika,
did you find any spores in or around Daphnia?
Regards, Franci
Mr Aco Celar,
no, I didn´t. Next time, I can try find spores and take a photo, if could be useful.
Best wishes,
Veronika
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