Enormous diversity of RNA viruses in economic crustaceans

Crustaceans are important food sources worldwide and possess significant ecological status in the marine ecosystem. However, our understanding of the diversity and evolution of RNA viruses in crustaceans, especially in economic crustaceans, is still limited. Here, 106 batches of economic crustaceans including 13 species were collected from 24 locations in China during 2016-2021. We identified 90 RNA viruses, 69 of which were divergent from the known viruses. Viral transcripts were assigned to 18 different viral families/clades and three unclassified groups. Among the identified viruses, five were double-stranded RNA viruses, 74 were positive-sense single-stranded RNA (+ssRNA) viruses, nine were negative-sense single-stranded RNA (-ssRNA) viruses, and two belonged to an unclassified RNA virus group. Phylogenetic analyses showed that crustacean viruses were often clustered with viruses identified from invertebrates. Remarkably, most crustacean viruses were closely related to those from different host species along the same food chain or ecological aquatic niche. In addition, the genome structures of the newly discovered picornaviruses exhibited remarkable diversity. Our study significantly expands the diversity of viruses in important economic crustaceans and provides essential data for the risk assessment of the pathogens spreading in the global aquaculture industry.

The study delves into the largely uncharted territory of RNA viruses in crustaceans, which are not only vital for global food supply but also play a pivotal role in marine ecosystems. Focusing on economic crustaceans, the research uncovers 90 RNA viruses, with 69 being potentially new to science, highlighting the vast unknown viral diversity within these marine organisms. The findings reveal that these viruses are often related to those found in other invertebrates and tend to share close relationships with viruses from species within the same food web or habitat. This suggests that viruses may move between different marine species more frequently than previously thought. The discovery of such a wide variety of viruses, particularly the diverse genome structures of newly identified picornaviruses, is a significant leap forward in understanding the crustacean virology. This knowledge is crucial for managing disease risks in aquaculture and maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems.