''Perkinsus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

alveolate The alveolates (meaning "pitted like a honeycomb") are a group of protists, considered a major clade and Biological classification, superphylum within Eukarya. They are currently grouped with the stramenopiles and Rhizaria among the protists with ...

s in the phylum

Perkinsozoa Perkinsozoa is a proposed phylum of intracellular parasites in the superphylum Alveolata, which was suggested to account for the genus '' Perkinsus'' and other protist species that do not fit into existing Alveolata phyla. Members Members of t ...

. The genus was erected in 1978 to better treat its type species, ''

Perkinsus marinus ''Perkinsus marinus'' is a species of alveolates belonging to the phylum Perkinsozoa.Joseph, S., et al. (2010)The alveolate ''Perkinsus marinus'': biological insights from EST gene discovery.''BMC Genomics'' 11(1), 228. It is similar to a dinofl ...

'', known formerly as ''Dermocystidium marinum''. These are

parasitic Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has c ...

protozoa Protozoa (singular: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a group of single-celled eukaryotes, either free-living or parasitic, that feed on organic matter such as other microorganisms or organic tissues and debris. Histo ...

ns that infect

molluscs Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant taxon, extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil sp ...

, at least some of which cause disease and mass mortality. ''P. marinus'' is the most notorious, causing the disease perkinsosis, or dermo, in wild and farmed

oyster Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not al ...

s.Petty, D
''Perkinsus'' Infections of Bivalve Molluscs.
FA178. Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. Florida Cooperative Extension Service. University of Florida IFAS. 2010. As of 2004, six valid species were in the genus. At least two more have been described since then. Species and common hosts include: *'' Perkinsus andrewsi'' on Baltic clam (''Macoma balthica'') *'' Perkinsus beihaiensis'' on the oysters '' Magallana hongkongensis'' and '' M. ariakensis'' *'' Perkinsus chesapeaki'' on

soft-shell clam Soft-shell clams (American English) or sand gaper (British English/Europe), scientific name ''Mya arenaria'', popularly called "steamers", "softshells", "piss clams", "Ipswich clams", or "Essex clams" are a species of edible saltwater clam, a ...

(''Mya arenaria'') *'' Perkinsus honshuensis'' on Manila clam (''Venerupis philippinarum'') *''

'' on

eastern oyster The eastern oyster (''Crassostrea virginica'')—also called the Atlantic oyster, American oyster, or East Coast oyster—is a species of true oyster native to eastern North and South America. Other names in local or culinary use include the Wel ...

(''Crassostrea virginica'') *'' Perkinsus mediterraneus'' on

European flat oyster European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe a ...

(''Ostrea edulis'') *'' Perkinsus olseni'' (syn. ''P. atlanticus'') on

blacklip abalone The blacklip abalone, ''Haliotis rubra'', is an Australian species of large, edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae, the abalones.Bouchet, P. (2012). Haliotis rubra Leach, 1814. Accessed through: World Register ...

(''Haliotis rubra'') and

grooved carpet shell The grooved carpet shell, or Palourde clam, ''Ruditapes decussatus'', or ''Venerupis decussatus'', is a clam (bivalve mollusc) in the family Veneridae. It is distributed worldwide and due to its ecological and economic interest has been proposed ...

(''Ruditapes decussatus'') *'' Perkinsus qugwadii'' on yesso scallop (''Patinopecten yessoensis'') ''P. andrewsi'' and ''P. chesapeaki'' might be the same species; because the latter was described first, the name ''P. andrewsi'' will be a synonym.

References

External links

*Guiry, M. D. & G. M. Guiry. 2013
''Perkinsus'' Levine, 1978.
AlgaeBase. National University of Ireland, Galway. Accessed 8 September 2013. {{Taxonbar, from=Q15156949 Perkinsozoa Alveolata genera