A herpes-like virus disease in the blue king crab, Paralithodes platypus

Abstract

A virus was suspected, at the light rnicroscopy level, to have infected bladder and antennal gland labynnthal epithelium of the blue king crab Paralithodes platypus, causing severe damage. The lesions were characterized by marked nuclear hypertrophy and chromatin margination and the presence of a variably eosinophilic, amorphous ground substance. Within this ground substance, pleomorphic, more densely stained eosinophilic inclusions could be seen. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the relation between the ground substance and nuclear inclusions, and revealed the presence of viral particles within the ground substance. Based on the nucleocapsid's site of development, morphological characteristics and size, the virus is believed to be a member of the family Herpesviridae.