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Enterospora sp.

Spores measure 1.4 ± 19.7 x 0.7± 11.5µm, ovoid, central nucleus within sporoplasm, 4-5 turns of polar filament, bell-like polaroplast and obliquely positioned posterior vacuole. Infect nuclei of hepatopancreatic epithelial cells Stentiford, G.D., Bateman, K.S. (2007) Enterospora sp., an intranuclear microsporidian infection of hermit crab Eupagurus bernhardus. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 75, 73-78.

Mortalities unknown as newly emerged disease. Infected crabs did not appear to display external symptoms of disease

Severe degeneration of the hepatopancreas typical to that described previously in Cancer pagurus infected with the intranuclear microsporidian Enterospora canceri. Normal tubular structure of the hepatopancreas is destroyed with detachment of epithelial cells from the tubule basement membrane and liberation of parasite spores into the tubule lumen, pronounced haemocytic encapsulation response to affected tubules.

English Channel