Dan Horner

Infection patterns in salmonid populations by the myxozoan Ceratomyxa shasta may be directly related to presence or absence of suitable strains of its definitive polychaete host Manayunkia speciosa. My summer research will be focused on determining if intraspecies differences exist within or between populations of M. speciosa from North America. Polychaete samples from Klamath, Willamette, Deschutes and Fraser Rivers in the Pacific North West will be collected and compared genetically (CO1 gene) looking for distinct genotypes that may group according to the susceptibilities of the worm populations. Additionally, samples from Lake Superior in eastern USA, an uninfected watershed, will be examined to look for regional genetic differences. This study will further our understanding of intraspecies susceptibilities of M. speciosa, together with what affects this relationship may have on the spread and impact of C. shasta.