A new species of Henneguya (Myxozoa) in the big-eyed scad (Selar crumenophthalmus) from Hawaii.
We describe a new myxozoan, Henneguya akule n. sp., infecting the carangid fish Selar crumenophthalmus in Hawaii. Spores were found only in the aortic bulb, characterized by elliptical capsule with 2 tails, and pyriform polar capsules that angled toward the anterior end of the spore. Polar filaments had 3-4 coils. Parasites were present in apparently healthy fishes and caused no evident gross pathology. On microscopy, parasites evinced a mild inflammatory response in the host characterized by accumulations of eosinophilic fibrillar material around spores and a mononuclear infiltrate in the adventitia of the bulbus arteriosus. Overall prevalence was 20%, and prevalence between 2001 and 2006 ranged from 12 to 27%, but did not differ significantly between years. In contrast, prevalence of infection was highest in south-central Oahu. There was no relationship between infection status and body condition or gender of fish, and infection was absent in the smallest and largest fishes. Phylogenetically, H. akule n. sp. is most closely related to other Henneguya species infecting the heart of marine fishes based on ribosomal DNA analysis. This is the first documentation of a myxozoan parasite in marine fishes from Hawaii.
U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 5-231, Honolulu, Hawaii 96850, USA. thierry_work@usgs.gov
Thierry M
TM
Work
Geraldine
G
Takata
Christopher M
CM
Whipps
Michael L
ML
Kent
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003063:Cnidaria / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D006254:Hawaii / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010273:Parasitic Diseases, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D010473:Perciformes / Q000469:parasitology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D013170:Spores / Q000648:ultrastructure
D004275:DNA, Ribosomal