Report of presumptive Perkinsus sp. hypnospores in Megapitaria squalida of the Gulf of California with the thioglycollate staining technique

Objective. To detect the presence of presumptive hypnospores of the protozoan Perkinsus sp. in a wild population of the Mexican chocolata clam Megapitaria squalida in the southeastern Gulf of California, using Ray´s fluid thioglycollate medium (RFTM). Material and methods. Thirty specimens with size between 56.17 and 69.04 mm were captured each month, during an annual cycle. Infection prevalence and intensity and water parameters were recorded monthly from September 2012 to September 2013. Results. Perkinsus sp. was detected in tissue samples from the Mexican chocolate clam using the RFTM test by the presence of dark round corpuscles that represent parasite´s hypnospores. Monthly samplings revealed a prevalence of 0-43.33% and an infection intensity ranging from 1 to 4 (no infection = 0 hypnospores/entire preparation, to moderate = 34 hypnospores/entire preparation). Conclusions. Perkinsus sp. is reported for the first time in a wild population of M. squalida in the southesternmost Gulf of California. The results indicate that this protozoan is dispersed intraspecifically and would now, potentially, parasiting a new host in the region.