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I chthyosporidium weissii n. sp. ( M icrosporidia) Infecting the Arrow Goby ( C levelandia ios )
Author(s) -
Sanders Justin,
Myers Mark S.,
Tomanek Lars,
Cali Ann,
Takvorian Peter M.,
Kent Michael L.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of eukaryotic microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 1066-5234
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.2012.00619.x
Subject(s) - biology , goby , genus , spore , polar filament , zoology , botany , anatomy , microsporidia , fish <actinopterygii> , fishery
Gonadal infections by a novel microsporidium were discovered in 34% (13/38) of arrow gobies, C levelandia ios, sampled over a 3‐yr period from M orro B ay M arina in M orro B ay, C alifornia. Gonadal tumors had been reported in arrow gobies from this geographic area. The infected gonads, found primarily in females, typically appeared grossly as large, white‐gray firm and lobulated masses. Histological examination revealed large, multilobate xenomas within the ovaries and no evidence of neoplasia. Typical of the genus I chthyosporidium , the large xenomas were filled with developmental stages and pleomorphic spores. Wet mount preparations showed two general spore types: microspores with mean length of 6.2 (7.0–4.9, SD = 0.6, N = 20) μm and mean width of 4.3 (5.3–2.9, SD = 0.8) μm; and less numerous macrospores with mean length of 8.5 (10.1–7.1, SD = 1.0, N = 10) μm and mean width of 5.5 (6.2–4.8, SD = 0.5) μm. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated stages consistent with the genus and 35–50 turns of the polar filament. Small subunit rDNA gene sequence analysis revealed that the parasite from arrow gobies was most closely related to, but distinct from I chthyosporidium sp. based on sequences available in GenBank. We conclude that this microsporidium represents a new species of I chthyosporidium, the first species of this genus described from a member of the family G obiidae and from the P acific O cean.