title: Pterospora floridiensis, a new species of acephaline gregarine (Apicomplexa) from the maldanid polychaete Axiothella mucosa in St. Andrew Bay, Florida.
abstract: Pterospora floridiensis, a new species of acephaline gregarine from the body cavity of the bamboo worm Axiothella mucosa (Polychaeta: Maldanidae), is described. The gamont stage is distinctive and possesses a central cytoplasmic mass and two elongate trunks that bifurcate repeatedly and comprise approximately 60% of the total cell length. The gamont averages 198 (50-545) x 71 (25-180) microm (N= 45, 43) from the tip of the trunks to the anterior (the junctional site with the other gamont in syzygy). Gametocysts average 402 (297-545) x 304 (149-495) microm (N = 37). The oöcysts measure 22.5 (20.5-23.5) x 8.3 (7.0-10.0) microm (N = 30) and possess an internal capsule (average length = 13.9 microm, N = 30) containing the sporozoites and aliform wings on the epispore.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Troy State University, AL 36082, USA.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Landers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016782:Apicomplexa / Q000145:classification*; D005431:Florida; D011077:Polychaeta / Q000469:parasitology*; D012623:Seawater / Q000469:parasitology; D013045:Species Specificity