Morphology, seasonality and phylogeny of Zschokkella trachini n. sp (Myxozoa, Myxosporea) infecting the gallbladder of greater weever Trachinus draco (L.) from Tunisian waters

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2016

Authors

Azizi, R (Author) Other; Rangel, LF (Author) Other; Castro, R (Author) Other; Santos, MJ (Author) FCUP; Bahri, S (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Parasitology Research

Vol. 115

Pages: 4129-4138

ISSN: 0932-0113

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 8 Citations

Scopus - 8 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00K-N74

DOI: 10.1007/s00436-016-5187-y

Abstract (EN): We describe a new myxosporean species, Zschokkella trachini n. sp., infecting the gallbladder of greater weever Trachinus draco Linnaeus 1758 from Tunisia. This is the first record of Zschokkella species in T. draco. Plasmodia were polysporic producing six to eight mature spores; they were attached to the gallbladder epithelium or free floating in the bile. Mature spores were sub-ovoid in the frontal view, measured 15.2 +/- 0.6 (14.4-16.0) mu m in length and 9.8 +/- 0.7 (9.0-10.8) mu m in width. Two equal spherical polar capsules 4.0 +/- 0.4 (3.6-4.5) mu m in diameter, were located separately at the spore's extremities. The prevalence of infection ranged from 23.5 to 87.7 %. Morphological data and molecular analysis of the small subunit rDNA gene identified this parasite as a new species of Zschokkella. Neighbour joining clustered the parasite in a sub-clade containing other Zschokkella species parasiting the gallbladder of marine fish hosts, located within the coelozoic clade of the major freshwater clade. This is the second Zschokkella species reported from Tunisia.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10