First report of sporangia of a myxomycete (Physarum pusillum) on the body of a living animal, the lizard Corytophanes cristatus.
Myxomycetes are protists whose life cycle depends on aerially dispersed spores that germinate into motile myxamoebae, which then pair and fuse to form a larger, motile plasmodium. The plasmodium seeks out a suitable fruiting site (usually atop vegetative material or detritus) and transforms into fruiting bodies that release the spores. In this paper we report the first known instance of a myxomycete, in this case Physarum pusillum, sporulating on the body of a living animal, the cryptic lizard Corytophanes cristatus, which was collected in eastern Honduras in 2003.
Townsend
Josiah H
JH
Center for Latin American Studies, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA. jtownsend@flmnh.ufl.edu
Aldrich
Henry C
HC
Wilson
Larry David
LD
McCranie
James R
JR
D000818:Animals; D006721:Honduras; D008116:Lizards / Q000469:parasitology*; D008853:Microscopy; D010804:Physarum / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012867:Skin / Q000469:parasitology; D033761:Spores, Protozoan / Q000166:cytology