Pearl formation associated with gymnophallid metacercariae in Mytilus galloprovincialis from the Northwestern Adriatic coast: Preliminary observations

Gymnophallids of the genus Parvatrema are small trematodes infecting waterbirds in their adult stage. Several species of clams and mussels have been found to act as first and second intermediate hosts, in which the trematode larval stages induce the formation of pearls. In this study, a wild population of Mytilus galloprovincialis was sampled along the Northwestern coast of the Adriatic Sea to evaluate the origin and extent of visible pearls. Parasitological investigations, including morphological and molecular analyses, and histopathology were carried out on a representative sample of mussels (n = 158) from June to September 2021. The overall prevalence of infection reached 75.3 %, and the intensity of infection ranged from a few trematodes to thousands per mussel, mostly occurring in the mantle and surrounded by variable numbers of conchiolin layers. Morphological studies allowed classification of the metacercariae as belonging to the genus Parvatrema, and the pairwise comparison of the obtained sequences, encompassing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, revealed a genetic similarity (96.8 %) to Parvatrema duboisi. However, the phylogenetic analysis demonstrated the independent clustering of the obtained ITS sequences compared to other available Parvatrema species. For the relevant commercial impact that pearl formation may have on farmed mussels, ecological and epidemiological aspects of this infection would deserve further investigation in the area.

Automated summary

Gymnophallids of the genus Parvatrema were found to infect waterbirds as adult trematodes, with clams and mussels acting as intermediate hosts and inducing pearl formation. Parasitological investigations showed a high prevalence (75.3%) and variable infection intensity in sampled Mytilus galloprovincialis mussels. Morphological and molecular analyses classified the metacercariae as Parvatrema, but phylogenetic analysis revealed independent clustering of the obtained sequences compared to other Parvatrema species. Further research is needed to assess the ecological and epidemiological aspects of this infection due to its potential commercial impact on farmed mussels.