title: A new Caryospora coccidian species (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae).
abstract: A new Caryospora coccidian species is described from the laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae). Sporulated oocysts (n=30) are ovoid in shape with a smooth, colourless, bilayered oocyst wall and measure 31.4×29.3 (30.0-32.0×28.0-31.0) μm with a shape index of 1.1. Oocysts contain one spheroidal to subspheroidal sporocyst, 21.2×20.6 (20.0-24.0×20.0-21.0) μm. A spheroidal shaped sporocyst residuum is present; micropyle, Stieda, substieda and parastieda bodies are absent. Vermiform sporozoites (n=8) are arranged either parallel or randomly in the sporocyst, measuring 17.0×4.8 (16.0-18.0×4.0-6.0) μm, with a L/W ratio of 3.5. There is a large spheroidal, posterior refractile body in the middle of the sporozoite. Morphologically, this new species is most similar to Caryospora. The prevalence of this parasite was 6.7% in birds sampled in the morning and 33.3% from those sampled after midday. Further molecular characterisation was conducted at two loci; the 18S and 28S ribosomal RNA (rRNA). At the 18S locus, the new species of Caryospora was most closely related to Besnoitia besnoiti (99.2% similarity) and Hammondia triffittae (98.8% similarity). Although, no 28S partial sequences from Caryospora were available in GenBank, the highest similarity was with B.besnoiti (91.3%). Based on morphological and molecular data, this coccidian parasite is a new species that to date has not been reported. The new coccidian parasite is named Caryospora daceloe n. sp. after its host D. novaeguineae (the laughing kookaburra).
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia. Electronic address: R.Yang@murdoch.edu.au.
authors.forename: Rongchang
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, 120 Gilchrist Road, Lesmurdie, Western Australia 6076, Australia.
authors.forename: Belinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brice
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia.
authors.forename: Una
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ryan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D001717:Birds; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D021743:Eimeriidae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D015994:Incidence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D033661:Oocysts / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D012339:RNA, Ribosomal, 28S / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment / Q000662:veterinary; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; D012339:RNA, Ribosomal, 28S
keywords: 18S rRNA; 28S rRNA; Besnoitia; Caryospora; Kookaburra; Morphology; Phylogenetics