Fine structure of Henneguya hemiodopsis sp. n. (Myxozoa), a parasite of the gills of the Brazilian teleostean fish Hemiodopsis microlepes (Hemiodontidae).

Abstract

A fish-infecting myxosporean, Henneguya hemiodopsis sp. n., found infecting the gills of Hemiodopsis microlepis and collected from the Poty River near the city of Teresina, Brazil, was described based on ultrastructural studies. The parasite occurred within large whitish polysporic plasmodia (up to 200 microm in diameter) containing asynchronous developmental sporogonic stages, mainly mature spores. The spores measured 19.7 +/- 0.9 microm in total length (n = 30) and the ellipsoidal spore body was 10.8 +/- 0.5 microm long, 3.3 +/- 0.4 microm wide and 2.5 +/- 0.5 microm thick. The spores were composed of two equal shell valves adhering together along the straight suture line, with each valve having equal-sized caudal tapering tails measuring 8.7 +/- 0.6 microm in length. The spores were surrounded by a thin anastomosed network of microfibrils, more evident on the tails. There were two symmetric elongated bottle-like polar capsules 3.5 +/- 0.3 microm long and 1.0 +/- 0.2 microm wide, each with a polar filament with five to six coils. Given the morphological and ultrastructural differences from previously described parasites and the specificity of the host species, we propose a new species, named H. hemiodopsis sp. n.