Carcinonemertes carcinophila (Nemertea) in relation to its host, the Atlantic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus

Dear Dr. Shields,

The reviewer 1 requests Major Revisions of your manuscript. You will find Reviewer 1 decisions requesting major revisions. I agree with him, but I think these revisions will be easy to take up and integrate into your manuscript.

Regarding your manuscript, I would suggest to add more references and recents on the effect of salinity on the blue crab Callinectes sapidus to contextualised better your study.

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Kind regards,

Guillaume Marchessaux, Ph.D.

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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Additional Editor Comments:

Dear authors,

Thank you for submitting your article to PLOS ONE. 

You will find Reviewer 1 decisions requesting major revisions. I agree with him, but I think these revisions will be easy to take up and integrate into your manuscript.

Regarding your manuscript, I would suggest to add more references and recents on the effect of salinity on the blue crab Callinectes sapidus to contextualised better your study.

Best regards,

Guillaume Marchessaux

[Note: HTML markup is below. Please do not edit.]

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

Reviewer #1: Yes

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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? -->?>

Reviewer #1: Yes

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3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available??>

The PLOS Data policy

Reviewer #1: Yes

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4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English??>

Reviewer #1: Yes

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Reviewer #1:  This study investigates the impact of salinity on nemertean parasites within blue crabs, a species of significant ecological and economic value. Key strengths include its focus on host-parasite interactions and how environmental factors like salinity influence them, particularly in euryhaline organisms. The research also contributes to understanding parasite tolerance to hyposaline stress, which is important for predicting their distribution. Given blue crabs' commercial importance, the study's findings have applied relevance for fisheries management. The controlled microcosm experiments and the inclusion of behavioral observations, such as phototaxis and probe response, enhance the study's depth. However, potential weaknesses exist. These include the need for better control over female crab origin to minimize host condition variability, the qualitative nature of behavioral metrics that could be improved with quantitative tracking, and potentially low sample sizes in certain treatments, which might limit statistical power.

Specific comments

the hypotheses overlap significantly and could be reworded to eliminate redundancy. Both essentially propose that salinity is positively correlated with nemertean presence, with the first focusing on infestation probability and the second on presence and abundance.

To improve clarity, these hypotheses could be combined into a single statement:

"We hypothesize that salinity will be positively correlated with the presence, abundance, and probability of nemertean infestation, as these organisms are expected to thrive in euryhaline waters."

Suggested Revisions for Specific Sections:

Host Collection: Please specify the original salinity/salinities.

Lines 108, 170, and 295: When referring to "hyposaline stress," clarify which specific salinity levels were used.

Line 112: Indicate the number of female crabs used in the experiment.

Line 117: Reword for formality: “containing approximately 3 mL.” same through the paper

Line 120: Explain how the experimental water was prepared, including details on the device used to measure salinity.

Line 162: The phrase “when an individual exhibited one or more of these taxes” is unclear. consider rewording to “behavioral responses”

Repeated use of "healthy": Consider simplifying or defining the criteria concisely.

Line 139: Clarify the categorization of worm location within the petri dish to distinguish positional differences more explicitly. there is potential for subjectivity in this response.

Line 175: When mentioning crabs from the lower Chesapeake Bay, include the recorded salinity for the experiments

Lines 183-184: Provide a reference to support the consideration of mucus production as a health indicator.

Line 195: Specify the total number of ovigerous females examined.

Line 224: Include female as a random factor in the experimental design and modeling to account for individual variation.

Controlling Female Crab Origin: To ensure statistical and experimental consistency, the origin of female crabs should be explicitly stated in the experimental design. This would help control for potential variability in host condition and exposure history.

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Reviewer #1: No

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Salinity tolerance, hyposaline stress recovery, and survival of the nemertean worm, Carcinonemertes carcinophila (Nemertea) in relation to its host, the Atlantic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus

PONE-D-25-02790R1

Dear Dr. Jeffrey D. Shields,

Thank you for your interesting paper and for the revisions you made. We are pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

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Kind regards,

Guillaume Marchessaux, Ph.D.

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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