Abstract

A systematic review of the parasites and pathologies of the main important commercially bivalve species from Argentina and Uruguay has been done. Bacteria, algae, Perkinsozoa, Haplosporidia, Ciliophora, Apicomplexa, Turbellaria, Trematoda, Cestoda and Nemertea have been found infecting natural populations of bivalve species. Disseminated neoplasia has been recorded in mussels from culture causing gonadal castration and digestive gland atrophy. In particular, mortalities from cultured oysters have been associated predominately to Bonamia exitiosa. In some cases, parasites have been shown to reduce the condition index of the host. This review provides information on the individual and population effects of these conditions as well as providing suggestions for future research.

Keywords: Protozoans; Metazoans; Mollusc diseases; Shellfish; Southweast atlantic ocean