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Haemogregarina tuatarae sp. n., from the New Zealand Rhynchocephalian Sphenodon punctatus (Gray).
Author(s) -
LAIRD MARSHALL
Publication year - 1950
Publication title -
proceedings of the zoological society of london
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0370-2774
DOI - 10.1111/j.1096-3642.1950.tb00662.x
Subject(s) - gray (unit) , biology , anatomy , zoology , medicine , radiology
Summary. Haemogregarina tuatarae sp. n., is described from seven of 35 examples of the tuatara, Sphenodon punctatus (Gray), parasitized material being obtained from Stephen and Middle Trio Islands, Cook Strait. The species is differentiated from Haemogregarina lygosomarum Doré, the only reptilian haemogregarine previously described from New Zealand, chiefly on the grounds of gametocyte morphology, and its systematic position is discussed. All the smears studied are characterized by an exceedingly low parasite rate and a relative abundance of phagocytosed forms, these features being interpreted as probably indicative of old or chronic infections.