Handbook of Pathogens and Diseases in Cephalopods

Octopuses, cuttlefish, squids, and nautiluses compose a diverse and ancient class of Mollusca,
the Cephalopoda. They play an important role in the trophic structure of marine ecosystems
and are a valuable fishery resource sought in lucrative European and Asian markets.
Cephalopods have evolved highly advanced sensory systems with large, very sophisticated
eyes and the most complex brain of the invertebrates. They have a demonstrated capacity for
both short- and long-term memory and are able to perform impressive high-order cognitive
tasks on a par with some of the lower vertebrates....The increasing importance of cephalopods in scientific and commercial activities motivates the
need to learn more about potential threats to their health, namely pathogens and disease
vectors. Accurate disease identification and effective treatment are, in fact, essential for any
program that may have an impact on cephalopod health and welfare. We presently are on the
early part of that learning curve and would benefit from a user-friendly guide to cephalopod
diseases. Such a guide would summarize important anatomical and histological structures
required for necropsy, describe assertive histopathological analyses, and discuss the diagnosis
of infectious and non-infectious diseases along with their pathologies