Abstract
Among the many Callinectes spp. across the western Atlantic, the blue crab C. sapidus has the broadest latitudinal distribution, encompassing both tropical and temperate climates. Its life history varies latitudinally, from extended overwintering at high latitudes to year-round activity in tropical locations. Callinectes sapidus reovirus 1 (CsRV1) is a pathogenic virus first described in North Atlantic C. sapidus and has recently been detected in southern Brazil. Little information exists about CsRV1 prevalence at intervening latitudes or in overwintering blue crabs. Using a quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) method, this study investigated CsRV1 prevalence in C. sapidus across latitudinal differences in temperature and crab life history, as well as in additional Callinectes spp. and within overwintering C. sapidus. CsRV1 prevalence in C. sapidus was significantly correlated with high water temperature and blue crab winter dormancy. Prevalence of CsRV1 in C. sapidus on the mid-Atlantic coast was significantly lower in winter than in summer. CsRV1 infections were not detected in other Callinectes spp. These findings revealed that CsRV1 is present in C. sapidus across their range, but not in other Callinectes species, with prevalence associated with temperature and host life history. Such information helps us to better understand the underlying mechanisms that drive marine virus dynamics under changing environmental conditions.
Highlights
Since the last glacial maximum, the distribution of crabs in the genus Callinectes has radiated poleward from a center in the Atlantic coastal region (Williams 1974)
Callinectes sapidus reovirus 1 (CsRV1) RNA prevalence in C. sapidus (n = 308) sampled from 4 locations on the northeast and mid-Atlantic coast of North America varied from 14.0−32.0%
No CsRV1 infections were identified in blue crabs collected from two of the locations in Brazil (Sergipe and Paraná; n = 144), but CsRV1 was detected in Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) and Uruguay (33.3 and 9.7%, respectively; n = 194) (Table 1)
Summary
Since the last glacial maximum, the distribution of crabs in the genus Callinectes has radiated poleward from a center in the Atlantic coastal region (Williams 1974). In the mid-latitudes of the northern Atlantic, where water temperatures dip below 10°C in winter, blue crabs migrate into deep waters or burrow into estuarine sediments to overwinter, displaying little activity (Hines et al 2011). In warmer waters, such as the southern US Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea, C. sapidus have an extended spawning period, year-round recruitment, and are continuously active (Adkins 1972, Hsueh et al 1993). In the higher latitudes of Brazil and south to Argentina, blue crab activity again becomes seasonal as winter water temperatures approach 10°C (Rodrigues et al 2019)
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