Perkinsus chesapeaki observed in a new host, the European common edible cockle Cerastoderma edule, in the Spanish Mediterranean coast

• Perkinsus sp. in observed in Cerastoderma edule by histology.
• A Perkinsus sp. parasite is observed by first time in C. edule in the Spanish Mediterranean.
• PCR-RFLP, in situ hybridization, sequencing and phylogeny identify the parasite as a P. chesapeaki.
• P. chesapeaki is observed in Europe in a new host, the cockle C. edule.
• C. edule has high commercial value; impact of the parasite needs to be evaluated.

Histological observations showed the presence of a Perkinsus sp. parasite in Cerastoderma edule tissues for the first time in the Spanish Mediterranean coast. ITS molecular characterization by PCR-RFLP, in situ hybridization and sequencing, identified the parasite as Perkinsus chesapeaki, with a maximum identity of 99–100% with GenBank P. chesapeaki sequences from France and 97% with P. chesapeaki sequences of North American origin when BLAST analysis was carried out. Furthermore, phylogenetic studies placed the European cockle parasite in a well defined cluster together with the other European isolates. This is the first report of P. chesapeaki in the cockle C. edule.

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