Synopsis of the species of Myxobolus Bütschli, 1882 (Myxozoa: Myxosporea: Myxobolidae)

Abstract

A synopsis of 744 nominal species of Myxobolus Bu¨tschli, 1882 (Myxozoa, Myxosporea, Myxobolidae) is presented. For each species, the relevant morphometric and morphological data are indicated, as well as the host(s), site(s) of infection within the host and type-locality.

Light and electron microscopy of Myxobolus sciades n. sp. (Myxozoa), a parasite of the gills of the Brazilian fish Sciades herzbergii (Block, 1794) (Teleostei: Ariidae)

“…Comparison of our results with other Myxobolus species that infect the gills of Brazilian freshwater fish (Table) revealed significant differences in morphometric characters (size and body shape) of the spores, ultrastructural organisation of the PCs and their PFCs and host specificity. However, when comparing other international Myxobolus species that infect the gill tissues of freshwater fish (Eiras et al 2005b) to those described herein, we observed that spores with a similar shape and size have several morphological differences in both length and width of PC as well as their position in relation to the PC axis. This analysis suggests that the presently described parasite is different from other Myxobolus spp and therefore, M. sciades is a new species.…”

“…The spores were pyriform and uninucleate, measuring 9.15 ± 0.39 μm (n = 50) long, 4.36 ± 0.23 μm (n = 25) wide and 2.61 ± 0.31 μm (n = 25) The genus Myxobolus (Bütschli, 1882) (family Myxobolidae) is one of the largest myxosporean groups and its members are important pathogens of freshwater and marine fish in several geographical areas (Eiras et al 2005b, Lom & Dyková 2006. In a recent synopsis, 744 Myxobolus species have been identified parasitizing fish (Eiras et al 2005b) and more recently, 792 named species of the same genus, including seven infecting amphibians, have been described (Lom & Dyková 2006). However, this number has been successively increasing over the years by the continuing description of new species in different countries, including Brazil (Casal et al 2006, Martins & Onaka 2006, Eiras et al 2007, Adriano et al 2009a, b, Azevedo et al 2009).…”

“…Polysporic histozoic cyst-like plasmodia containing several life-cycle stages, including mature spores, were observed. The spores were pyriform and uninucleate, measuring 9.15 ± 0.39 μm (n = 50) long, 4.36 ± 0.23 μm (n = 25) wide and 2.61 ± 0.31 μm (n = 25) The genus Myxobolus (Bütschli, 1882) (family Myxobolidae) is one of the largest myxosporean groups and its members are important pathogens of freshwater and marine fish in several geographical areas (Eiras et al 2005b, Lom & Dyková 2006. In a recent synopsis, 744 Myxobolus species have been identified parasitizing fish (Eiras et al 2005b) and more recently, 792 named species of the same genus, including seven infecting amphibians, have been described (Lom & Dyková 2006).…”

“…In a recent synopsis, 744 Myxobolus species have been identified parasitizing fish (Eiras et al 2005b) and more recently, 792 named species of the same genus, including seven infecting amphibians, have been described (Lom & Dyková 2006). However, this number has been successively increasing over the years by the continuing description of new species in different countries, including Brazil (Casal et al 2006, Martins & Onaka 2006, Eiras et al 2007, Adriano et al 2009a, b, Azevedo et al 2009).…”

Redescription of Myxobolus pyramidis Chen, 1958(Myxosporea: Bivalvulida)

“…The genus Myxobolus is the richest group among myxosporea, containing about 744 nominal species (Eiras et al 2005), among which 328 species were reported in China (Chen and Ma 1998). Most of these species, however, were described a long time ago with poor data and illustrations available (Ward 1919;Tripathi 1952;Fomena and Bouix 1997).…”