Goussia molnarica n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Coccidia) infecting the gut of the freshwater catfish Clarias gariepinus in Egypt

Abstract

A new coccidian (Apicomplexa: Coccidia), Goussia molnarica n. sp., is described from the gut of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus Bürchell, 1822. Elliptical sporulated oocysts measuring 14-16 × 9-10 µm were found in the feces and in the mucus covering the epithelium in 40.6% of examined catfish specimens. In histological sections, G. molnarica macrogamonts were found, infecting the first part of the intestinal epithelium. Infection prevalence was highest in April and lowest in November. The pathology of infection resembled disperse coccidioses of cyprinid fishes caused by various other species of the genus Goussia Labbé, 1896. KEY WORDS: Coccidian species · Goussia molnarica · Gut · Freshwater catfish Clarias gariepinus · EgyptResale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher

Intestinal coccidiosis of anadromous and landlocked alewives, Alosa pseudoharengus, caused by Goussia ameliae n. sp. and G. alosii n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae)

“…These may be underestimated considering that these counts came from meronts within a single section plane in histology. The size of oocysts and sporocysts in G. ameliae is similar to the ranges that have been reported for other epicellular Goussia species, such as G. janae ( Lukes and Dykova, 1990 ), G. pannonica ( Molnar, 1989 ), G. koertingi (Baska 1997), G. molnarica ( El-Mansy, 2008 ), and G. szekelyi ( Molnar, 2006 ). Phylogenetic analysis has placed G. ameliae closely related to other fish Goussia species, particularly G. pannonica , G. janae , and G. koertingi , which also share morphological characteristics, such as epicellular development and similar parasite dimensions.…”

“…Work by Lukes and Dykova (1990) demonstrated that sporulation of G. janae oocysts are temperature dependent, with sporulation occurring predominantly at 10 °C. Additionally, G. molnarica has been demonstrated to have a seasonal occurrence, with highest infection prevalence in the spring and lowest in November ( El-Mansy, 2008 ). The present study demonstrated that G. ameliae is highly prevalent in anadromous fish during the sample periods (April–August).…”

“…In the present study, fish were sampled during the end of the summer, although it would be valuable to sample fish in the spring/early summer when adult fish are spawning to determine if the coccidian is more prevalent during this time of year. Other intestinal and epicellular species of Goussia have been demonstrated to be most prevalent during the spring ( El-Mansy, 2008 ).…”

Seasonal intestinal coccidiosis in wild bluegill Lepomis macrochirus is associated with a spring bacterial epizootic

“…Several types of intestinal coccidia have been described based on their location of development and life cycle (Dyková & Lom, 1981).…”

Mixed Eimeria and Cryptosporidium infection and its effects on pathology and clinical outcomes in juvenile Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) cultured in Thailand

“…This disease is frequently caused by an apicomplexan parasite belonging to the genera Eimeria , Goussia , Cryptosporidium and Calyptospora (Certad et al., 2015; Dyková & Lom, 1981; Gibson‐Kueh, Yang, et al., 2011; Whipps et al., 2012). These groups of protozoa are commonly host specific and usually reported as a single infection in various fish (El‐Mansy, 2008; Golomazou & Karanis, 2020). Mixed infections of the same genus with different species of coccidia are also described, such as genera Goussia (Lovy et al., 2019; Lovy & Friend, 2015), Cryptosporidium (Certad et al., 2015) and Eimeria (Paterson & Desser, 1982); however, there is no report about co‐infection of more than one genus in an individual fish.…”