One more threat for the Queen Conch Strombus gigas? Coccidian (Apicomplexa) infection of S. gigas digestive gland: preliminary results

An intense and generalized sporozoan infection was detected during reproductive studies of Strombus gigas populations from various localities of the Caribbean. The parasite, apparently a Coccidian, was found in the digestive gland (DG) of every sampled organism throughout the year, infecting from 70% to 100% of the DG alveoli, with a frequent total invasion of every alveolar cell. This infection is apparently responsible for the low intensity of maturity and spawning stages registered at San Andres Archipelago, Colombia, and Alacranes reef, Mexico. These findings induce several questions: Given the generalized infection of the two populations at so distant sites, if the parasite is the same, are S. gigas populations more connected than it is supposed? What are the environmental factors inducing such an intense and generalized infection? What are the life cycle, vectors, and intermediate hosts of this parasite? Is it a threat to human health? What is the impact on recruitment of the consequently attenuated reproduction? Now more than ever, concerted actions have to be taken to solve these problems in order to obtain additional information on the putative parasites, prevent its expansion which could result in a collapse of conch populations, as well as a possible human health problem.