Virome research of imported crayfish species

The pet trade is among the major introduction pathways of invasive non-native species and also an important pathway for the introduction of novel diseases. Freshwater crayfish are frequently translocated for aquaculture and pet trade purposes, with species from families Cambaridae (of North American origin) and Parastacidae (of Australian and New Guinean origin) commonly available on the EU and global markets. Viruses represent an important group of crayfish microbial pathogens but are significantly understudied. Here we analyzed viromes in hepatopancreas of four crayfish species acquired in the international pet trade in Europe (Procambarus clarkii, Procambarus alleni, Cherax holthuisi, Cherax quadricarinatus) using an HTS-based metagenomic approach.