Occurrence of a new microsporidium in the skeletal muscle of the flying fish Cypselurus pinnatibarbatus japonicus (Exocoetidae) from Yakushima, Japan.
A new microsporidium was observed in the flying fish Cypselurus pinnatibarbatus japonicus (Franz) (Exocoetidae) from Yakushima, Japan. Visual examination revealed the microsporidium to form white elongate nodules in the host's trunk muscle. Monomorphic spores were ovoid to pyriform in shape, with average dimensions of 4.1 x 2.2 microm and possessing a polar tube describing 13-15 coils. Histological observations showed that each parasite focus of infection was encapsulated by a host-produced fibrous membrane. The presence of sporophorous vesicles was not clearly determined. Ribosomal DNA sequence analyses showed the microsporidium to be discrete from other known fish muscle-infecting species and to be most closely related to a clade comprising the Pleistophoridae and Glugea spp. The parasite is provisionally placed as Microsporidium cypselurus sp. n.
Yokoyama
Hiroshi
H
Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan. ayokoh@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Lee
Sun-Joung
SJ
Bell
Andrew S
AS
D000818:Animals; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D005399:Fishes; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D021861:Microsporidia, Unclassified / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016881:Microsporidiosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000469:parasitology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal