Folia Parasitologica 53[1] 1-36 (2006) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2006.001

Myxozoan genera: definition and notes on taxonomy, life-cycle terminology and pathogenic species

Jiří Lom, Iva Dyková

Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic

A list of myxozoan genera is presented in the current taxonomical scheme. These genera are defined; their type species and most important pathogens along with their hosts are listed. Simultaneously, definitions of actinospore stages representing sexual stages of the myxosporean life cycle are given; altogether, 17 actinospore collective groups with 180 types have been described. Life cycles of the two classes of the phylum Myxozoa, Malacosporea and Myxosporea, are briefly outlined with specification of the appropriate terms. Up to now, 4 malacosporean and 2,180 myxosporean species assigned to a total of 62 genera, have been established. The surviving classification of myxosporeans, based on spore morphology, is discussed in the context of the still fragmentary data resulting from SSU rDNA sequence analyses. The main task for the future is a rigorous, detailed morphological description combined with molecular techniques in establishment of new species and in revision of the existing ones. Establishment of a classification acceptable from morphological, biological and phylogenetical viewpoints is necessary.

Keywords: Myxozoa, definition of genera, taxonomy, terminology, phylogeny, pathogenic species

Received: November 24, 2005; Accepted: February 3, 2006; Published: March 1, 2006  Show citation