Host infections
Developing worms (arrowheads) attached to gut of bryozoan host. © A Gruhl
Infection with Buddenbrockia reduces growth and reproduction and may cause mortality of bryozoan hosts (Canning et al. 2002).
The majority of myxozoans with known life cycles utilise fish as a secondary host. The species Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae, which is closely related to Buddenbrockia plumatellae causes the severe Proliferative Kidney Disease in salmonid fishes.
There is evidence from experiments by Grabner and El-Matbouli (2009) that common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and common minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus) are susceptible to Buddenbrockia infections transmitted from bryozoans. However, it is not clear whether these are natural fish hosts of B. plumatellae. Although parasitic stages were found in the fish organs, they did not show any symptoms of disease.