Folia Parasitologica 64:019 (2017) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2017.019

Observations on non-random distribution of spores of Henneguya spp. (Cnidaria: Myxosporea: Myxobolidae) within plasmodia

Jorge C. Eiras¹, Manuel Cruz², Cristina Cruz¹, Aurélia Saraiva¹, Edson A. Adriano^3,4, Csaba Székely⁵, Kálmán Molnár⁵

¹ Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIIMAR/CIMAR), Matosinhos, Portugal;

² Laboratório de Engenharia Matemática (LEMA), Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Portugal;

³ Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Diadema, São Paulo, Brasil;

⁴ Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brasil;

⁵ Institute for Veterinary Medical Research, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungary; Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA), Budapest, Hungary

Species of the cnidarian genus Henneguya Thélohan, 1892 (Myxosporea: Myxobolidae) are histozoic parasites commonly found in freshwater and, more rarely, in marine fish. The development of these parasites in fish tissues includes the formation of plasmodia within which occurs the sporogony originating spores with two caudal processes, which are usually randomly distributed within the plasmodia. In this report the authors present some cases of non-random distribution of the spores of six species of Henneguya within their plasmodia. Two different patterns of non-random distribution were found based on a literature survey. These patterns and their origin are discussed. Apparently this non-random distribution of the spores is due to both internal and external factors.

Keywords: Myxozoa, fish, parasites, spores arrangement, motility

Received: January 11, 2017; Accepted: June 13, 2017; Published online: June 20, 2017  Show citation