DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS Vol. 7: 137-148. 1989 Published October 26 Dis. aquat. Org. Histopathology of Ceriantheopsis americanus (Cnidaria: Ceriantharia) exposed to Black Rock Harbor dredge spoils in Long Island Sound Esther C. Peters*, Paul P. Yevich" Environmental Research Laboratory, US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882. USA ABSTRACT: Over 500 specimens of the cerianthid anthozoan Ceriantheopsis americanus (Venill 1864) were collected from central Long Island Sound between January 1982 and October 1984, and processed for histopathological examination with light microscopy. The collection stations included a control area and 3 areas located 200, 400, and 1000 m east of the primary discharge of dredge spoils removed from Black Rock Harbor, Bridgeport, Connecticut (73" 13'W, 41" 9"N). C. americanus collected prior to the dumping of spoil were generally in good to excellent condition, with the only notable lesions associated with the appearance of an unidentified microparasite which caused vacuolation and necrosis of the lobes of the mesenterial filaments. Specimens collected from the control, 1000E (1000 m east), and 400E stations following the completion of spoil discharge in May 1983 continued to exhibit fair to excellent health, with microparasite infections highest in the summer and fall. Specimens from the 200E station were in poor health in June 1983, with accumulations of cellular debris and necrosis evident in all areas of the body, although microparasites were absent. In particular, the epidermis was vacuolated, with erosion and loss of mucous secretory cells and ptychocysts, indicating disruption of tube-formation by these anemones. C. arnericanus obtained 1 yr later from the 200E station showed marked improvement in condition. INTRODUCTION utilizing particulate matter and minute crustaceans, worms, and larvae of other species. Their feeding One of the burrowing anemone-like anthozoans, activities may affect the abundance and distribution of Ceriantheopsis (= Cerianthus, Carlgren 1912, p. 22, benthic fauna in an area (Carioccolo & Steirnle 1983, cited in Carlgren 1951, p. 389) arnericanus (Verrill Eleftheriou & Basford 1983). 1864), is commonly found in soft mud and sand bottoms Ceriantheopsis arnericanus has also been collected of bays and estuaries along the northeast coast of North in surveys of polluted waters, including the New York America (Widerstein 1976). These organisms secrete Bight apex and Deepwater Dumpsite 106 in the Mid- and inhabit a tube (Frey 1970) composed of mucus and Atlantic Bight (Pearce 1972, Pearce et al. 1976, Pearson ptychocysts, a pleated-thread type of nematocyst found & Rosenberg 1978, Caracciolo & Steimle 1983), often in its epidermis (Mariscal et al. 1977). C. americanus is near the perimeters of polluted zones. Its presence and nocturnal, spreading its tentacles after dark and distribution in these areas suggest that this anthozoan retreating into its burrow during the day (Frey 1970). is either susceptible, resistant or adaptable to a variety Studies on this and other cerianthids indicate that these of pollutants and changes in water quality. However, organisms are suspension and surface deposit feeders, there have not been any studies examining the acute effects of pollutant exposure on these organisms. During a 4 yr survey of benthos response and recruit- ' Present address: Registry of Tumors in Lower Animals, ment to a dumpsite in Long Island Sound (Interagency National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institu- Field Verification of Testing and Predictive Meth- tion Washington, D.C. 20560, USA ' ' Present address: Science Applications International Corpo- odologies for Dredged Material Disposal Alternatives ration, c/o US Environmental Protection Agency. Nar- Program [Field Verification Program = FVP], sponsored ragansett, Rhode Island 02882, USA by the US Army Corps of Engineers), Ceriantheopsis C3 Inter-Research/Printed in F. R. Germany 138 Dis. aquat. Org 7- 137-148, 1989 americanus were collected from selected sites before mesh) and washed with fresh seawater to release and after disposal of dredge spoils from Black Rock organisms from the sediment. Cerianthids were care- Harbor, Bridgeport, Connecticut. The dredged material fully eased out of their tubes (when necessary), and that was dumped was enriched in polynuclear aromatic fixed whole in Helly's solut~on(Barszcz & Yevich 1975), hydrocarbons (conc. 17 to 9100 ng g-l with mol. wt without prior relaxation, for 5 to 10 h. Specimens were between 1 and 302) and their alkylated homologs (conc. washed in several changes of tap water and stored in 110 to 13 000 ng g-1 for mol, wt 128 to 252, measured as 70 % undenatured ethanol. For processing, anemones the sum of the alkyl homologs between C-l and CA), were sectioned in half longitudinally, dehydrated and polychlonnated biphenyls (ca 6800 ng g-l), and metals, cleared with Technicon reagents (S-29 and UC-WO), including zinc (1200 pg g-'), copper (2380 pg g-l), lead and embedded in Paraplast (Yevich & Barszcz 1981). (380 big g-' cadmium (23 yg g-l), chromium (1430 )[g Tissues were sectioned at 6 pm and stained with Harris' g-l), nickel (140 yg g-l), and mercury (1.7 pg g-'1 hematoxylin and eosin (H & E). Additional sections of (Rogerson et al. 1985).We report here on histopathologi- some specimens were stained with Heidenhain's cal examinations of cerianthid tissues. aniline blue method for connective tissue; modified Movat's pentachrome technique for mucous secretory ceiis; peliudic dcid sciiiif ieactioii {FASj tiiiih alcian SITE DESCRIPTION blue for carbohydrates; Feulgen reaction with light green counterstain for deoxyribonucleic acid; Heiden- The FVP center dump site 'ground zero' (CNTR) at hain's iron hematoxylin with PAS counterstain for mic- 41" 9.4"N, 72O51.7"W was located within a previously roparasites (A. Cali pers. comm.); Twort's method for designated disposal area in central Long Island Sound Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria (Rhode (CLIS). This site was selected for minimal contamina- Island Hospital); and fixed and stained with chromic tion from other sources during the study, including relic acid/osmium tetroxide to demonstrate lipid accumula- or ongoing disposal operations (Yevich et al. 1987). The tions (Luna 1968). physical, chemical and biological nature of the disposal Slides were examined and photographed with the site was described by Scott et al. (1987). For this histo- light microscope. The condition of tissues was ranked pathology study, collections of anemones were made at on a scale of 1 to 5. This system considered the number stations located 200, 400 and 1000 m east (200E, 400E, and type of lesions present, as well as their severity and 1000E) of the discharge at CNTR, along the primary how they might affect the overall ability of the axis of current flow in the Sound. The control station anemone to function In normal food-gathenng, diges- (REFS) was ca 3 km south-southwest of the southern tion/assimilation (metabolic),reproduction, and protec- perimeter of the FVP site, over 1 km outside of the CLIS tive activities. For example, specimens with no observ- area. Water depth at all stations was ca 20 m. Anemo- able lesions in their tissues were rated in excellent nes were obtained from 3 stations (REFS, 1000E, 400E) condition (a score of 1); those with slight to moderate prior to dredge spoil disposal. The 200E station was not parasite infections and/or other lesions, such as patches included in this particular pre-exposure FVP sampling of vacuolated epidermis or minor tissue necrosis, were schedule (e. g. Pesch et al. 1985).Following the release described in good condition (1.5 to 2); those with exten- of dredged material at the FVP CNTR in May 1983, sive parasite infections and/or other lesions were con- anemones were collected from the REFS, 1000E, 400E sidered to be in fair condition (2.5 to 3); and those and 200E stations once each month for 4 mo, then specimens with loss of mucous secretory cells and large seasonally thereafter. areas of tissue necrosis were in poor condition (3.5to 4). Specimens exhibiting extensive tissue necrosis sugges- tive of irreversible changes or death were rated 4.5 to 5 METHODS' on this scale. Scores obtained for specimens collected on each date Specimens were obtained with a Smith-MacIntyre were compared, by station, using nonparametric statis- grab sampler (0.1 m2]. Mud samples from the grab tical techniques. The Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis were placed on large stainless steel screens (2.0mm of variance (Steel & Tonie 1960) was applied to data for each station to compare differences in condition scores Ment~onof product names does not imply endorsement by between collection dates, both, before and after dredge thc United States Environmental Protection Agency spoil release. Data obtained at each date were also (IISEPA).Although the research described in th~sarticle was compared between the 4 stations. The Mann-Whitney funded by the USEPA, it has not been subjected to Agcncy rvvivw and therrfore does not necessarily reflect the vlcws U-test was used to test for differences between control of the Agency and no official endorsement should be and exposed stations for each date after May 1983. inferred Gonads of Ceriantheopsis americanus develop from Peters & Yevich: Histopathology of Ceriantheopsis exposed to dredge spoils 139 interstitial cells in or near the mesoglea on the longer Table 1 Ceriantheopsis americanus. Summary of condition flrst and third quartettes of metamesenteries, the sec- scores of anemones collected from each station for each ond and fourth are shorter and sterile. Gonad develop- sampling date Values are: n -: number of anemones = ment was graded on the appearance of ova and sper- examined; Mean (SD) Mean condition score determined for each group with standard deviation in parentheses; range maries using five categ0ri.e~:neutral; only ova develop- = range of scores found in each group, - = no anemones ing; ova and spermaries present; mature gonads; sampled on that date spawning.