Preliminary Morphological Study and Food Uptake Experiment for Transmission of Gregarine Infection from Infected Bivalves, Anadara cornea (Reeve, 1844) to the Mud Crab Genus Scylla as an Intermediate Host.

Abstract Objective: Research about gregarine become important due to the problem reported by this parasite especially in commercial bivalve i.e. Oyster. Diagnose of these parasites are important to secure the aquaculture industry in the future. Due to the advanced technologies nowadays, this research regarding to these parasites are become relevant to be study. The objective of this study is to determine the occurrence of gregarine parasites in wild mud crab and the food uptake transmission of gregarine infection from infected bivalves, Anadara cornea (Reeve, 1844) to the mud crab genus Scylla. Result: Preliminary study show that high prevalence of infection was reported in the Hairy Cockle (Anadara cornea) from Setiu Lagoon, Malaysia. From the analysis, the infection intensity was high and each phagocyte (Pha) contain maximum of 15 oocyst (Oc). Each oocyst has a single cell wall, longitudinal shape and contained sporozoite (Sz). Parasitophorous Vacuole (Pv) cover by membrane wall. There is no transmission of parasites reported in this experiment.