Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Molecular and morphological descriptions of Ceratomyxa collarae n. sp. and Ceratomyxa leucosternoni n. sp. from marine ornamental fishes of Indian waters

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Parasitology Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Two novel species of Ceratomyxa infecting marine ornamental fishes from Indian waters are described. Marine ornamentals, Chaetodon collare and Chaetodon decussatus, collected from Vizhinjam, along the southwest coast of India and Acanthurus leucosternon collected from Lakshadweep islands of Arabian Sea revealed Ceratomyxa infections in their gall bladders. Mature spores of Ceratomyxa from Chaetodon collare and Chaetodon decussatus were elongate and slightly crescentic, with rounded ends, and measured 5.20 ± 0.32 μm in length and 16.32 ± 1.29 μm in thickness. Polar capsules spherical, equal in size and measured 2.23 ± 0.16 μm long and 2.24 ± 0.20 μm wide. Posterior angle measured 157.75 ± 8.650. Principle Component Analysis and molecular analysis using partial SSUrDNA sequences showed the isolates from these two hosts to be identical. Morphological, morphometric and molecular analysis using partial SSUrDNA sequences revealed the taxonomic novelty of isolates and are hence treated as Ceratomyxa collarae n. sp. Mature spores of Ceratomyxa from Acanthurus leucosternon were elongate, slightly tapering with rounded ends, and measured 7.34 ± 0.92 μm in length and 24.37 ± 2.34 μm in thickness. Shell valves were equal, joined by a narrow suture line. Polar capsules spherical in shape, equal in size, 2.59 ± 0.32 μm long and 2.46 ± 0.32 μm wide, and polar filament measured 18.68 ± 2.54 μm. Based on morphological, morphometric and molecular analyses, the present species of Ceratomyxa is distinct, considered as a new species and named Ceratomyxa leucosternoni n. sp. The paper also discusses the prevalence of the recovered parasites and host specificity of Ceratomyxa collarae n. sp.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdel-Ghaffar F, Ali MA, Al Quraishy S, Al Rasheid K, Al Farraj S, Abdel-Baki AS, Bashtar AR (2008) Four new species of Ceratomyxa Thelohan 1892 (Myxozoa: Myxosporea: Ceratomyxidae) infecting the gallbladder of some Red Sea fishes. Parasitol Res 103(3):559–65

  • Alama-Bermejo G, Raga JA, Holzer AS (2011) Host-parasite relationship of Ceratomyxa puntazzi n. sp. (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) and sharpsnout seabream Diplodus puntazzo (Walbaum, 1792) from the Mediterranean with first data on ceratomyxid host specificity in sparids. Vet Parasitol 182(2-4):181–92

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson SD, Foott JS, Bartholomew JL (2014) Erection of Ceratonova n. gen. (Myxosporea: Ceratomyxidae) to encompass freshwater species C. gasterostea n. sp. from threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and C. shasta n. comb. from salmonid fishes. J Parasitol 100(5):640–5

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cheung PJ, Nigrelli RF, Ruggieri GD (1983) Pentacapsula muscularis sp. nov. (Myxosporea: Pentacapsulidea): a histologic parasite of butterfly fish, Chaetodon collare Bloch. J Fish Dis 6:393–395

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eiras JC (2006) Synopsis of the species of Ceratomyxa Thelohan, 1892 (Myxozoa: Myxosporea: Ceratomyxidae). Syst Parasitol 65(1):49–71

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fiala I (2006) The phylogeny of Myxosporea (Myxozoa) based on small subunit ribosomal RNA gene analysis. Int J Parasitol 36(14):1521–34

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gleeson R, Adlard R (2011) Morphological and genetic analysis of three new species of Ceratomyxa Thelohan, 1892 (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) from carcharhinid sharks off Australia. Syst Parasitol 80(2):117–24

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gunter NL, Adlard RD (2008) Bivalvulidan (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) parasites of damselfishes with description of twelve novel species from Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Parasitol 135(10):1165–78

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gunter NL, Adlard RD (2009) Seven new species of Ceratomyxa Thelohan, 1892 (Myxozoa) from the gall-bladders of serranid fishes from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Syst Parasitol 73(1):1–11

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gunter NL, Adlard RD (2010) The demise of Leptotheca Thelohan, 1895 (Myxozoa: Myxosporea: Ceratomyxidae) and assignment of its species to Ceratomyxa Thelohan, 1892 (Myxosporea: Ceratomyxidae), Ellipsomyxa Koie, 2003 (Myxosporea: Ceratomyxidae), Myxobolus Butschli, 1882 and Sphaerospora Thelohan, 1892 (Myxosporea: Sphaerosporidae). Syst Parasitol 75(2):81–104

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gunter NL, Whipps CM, Adlard RD (2009) Ceratomyxa (Myxozoa: Bivalvulida): robust taxon or genus of convenience? Int J Parasitol 39(12):1395–405

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gunter NL, Burger MA, Adlard RD (2010) Morphometric and molecular characterisation of four new Ceratomyxa species (Myxosporea: Bivalvulida: Ceratomyxidae) from fishes off Lizard Island, Australia. Folia Parasitol (Praha) 57(1):1–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hammer Ø, Harper D, Ryan PD (2001) PAST: Paleontological statistics software package for education and data analysis. Palaeontol Electro 4(1):9

    Google Scholar 

  • Heiniger H, Adlard RD (2013) Molecular identification of cryptic species of Ceratomyxa Thelohan, 1892 (Myxosporea: Bivalvulida) including the description of eight novel species from apogonid fishes (Perciformes: Apogonidae) from Australian waters. Acta Parasitol 58(3):342–60

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Heiniger H, Gunter NL, Adlard RD (2008) Relationships between four novel ceratomyxid parasites from the gall bladders of labrid fishes from Heron Island, Queensland, Australia. Parasitol Int 57(2):158–65

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Heiniger H, Cribb TH, Adlard RD (2013) Intra-specific variation of Kudoa spp. (Myxosporea: Multivalvulida) from apogonid fishes (Perciformes), including the description of two new species, K. cheilodipteri n. sp. and K. cookii n. sp., from Australian waters. Syst Parasitol 84(3):193–215

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kalavati C, Nandi NC (2007) Handbook of Myxosporidean parasites of Indian fishes. ZSI, Kolkata

    Google Scholar 

  • Lom J, Arthur JR (1989) A guideline for the preparation of species descriptions in Myxosporea. J Fish Dis 12(2):151–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lom J, Dykova I (2006) Myxozoan genera: definition and notes on taxonomy, life-cycle terminology and pathogenic species. Folia Parasitol (Praha) 53(1):1–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lubat J, Radujkovic B, Marques A, Bouix G (1989) Parasites des poissons marins du Montenegro: Myxosporidies. Acta Adriatica 30:31–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Meglitsch P (1960) Some coelozoic myxosporidia from New Zealand fishes Part 1—General, and family Ceratomyxidae. Trans Roy Soc New Zealand 88:265–365

    Google Scholar 

  • Morsy K, Abdel-Ghaffar F, Bashtar AR, Mehlhorn H, Al Quraishy S, Abdel-Gaber R (2012) Morphology and small subunit ribosomal DNA sequence of Henneguya suprabranchiae (Myxozoa), a parasite of the catfish Clarias gariepinus (Clariidae) from the River Nile, Egypt. Parasitol Res 111(4):1423–35

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sitja-Bobadilla A, Alvarez-Pellitero P (1993) Ultrastructural and cytochemical observations on the sporogenesis of Sphaerospora testicularis (Protozoa: Myxosporea) from Mediterranean sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax (L.). Eur J Protistol 29(2):219–29

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smothers JF, von Dohlen CD, Smith LH Jr, Spall RD (1994) Molecular evidence that the myxozoan protists are metazoans. Science 265(5179):1719–21

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tamura K, Stecher G, Peterson D, Filipski A, Kumar S (2013) MEGA6: Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis Version 6.0. Mol Biol Evol 30(12):2725–2729

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Whipps CM, Adlard RD, Bryant MS, Lester RJG, Findlav V, Kent ML (2003) First Report of three Kudoa species from Eastern Australia: Kudoa thyrsites from Mahi mahi (Coryphaena hippurus), Kudoa amamiensis and Kudoa minithyrsites n. sp. from sweeper (Pempheris ypsilychnus). J Eukaryot Microbiol 50(3):215–219

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Whipps CM et al (2004) Phylogeny of the multivalvulidae (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) based on comparative ribosomal DNA sequence analysis. J Parasitol 90(3):618–22

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the Director, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Cochin and Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, for providing necessary facilities and funds for undertaking this work. Authors also wish to thank Dr. M. K. Anil for the help rendered during the collection of samples and Mr. K.M. David for the line drawings.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fish Health Section, Marine Biotechnology Division, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, PB No. 1603, Ernakulam, Kerala, 682018, India

    N. K. Sanil, Archana Chandran, P. Shamal & C. P. Binesh

Authors
  1. N. K. Sanil
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Archana Chandran
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. Shamal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. C. P. Binesh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to N. K. Sanil.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Funding

This study was funded by Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sanil, N.K., Chandran, A., Shamal, P. et al. Molecular and morphological descriptions of Ceratomyxa collarae n. sp. and Ceratomyxa leucosternoni n. sp. from marine ornamental fishes of Indian waters. Parasitol Res 116, 529–537 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-016-5317-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-016-5317-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation