First Report of <i>Thelohanellus testudineus</i> (Myxosporea) from the Skin of Goldfish <i>Carassius auratus</i> in Japan

Abstract

In 2017, one individual of goldfish Carassius auratus which had tumor-like massive lesions in the skin was found in a goldfish wholesale market in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The lesions were 2-4 mm in diameter and hemorrhage was observed in some of them. Microscopic observation revealed numerous myxospores with a single polar capsule. The spores were 17.1 ± 1.0 μm (mean ± SD) long, and 6.1 ± 0.7 μm wide. The partial sequence of 18S rRNA gene was 100% identical to that of Thelohanellus testudineus. This is the first report of T. testudineus in goldfish.