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First description of Chloromyxum squali Gleeson and Adlard, 2012 (Myxozoa) in the Mediterranean Sea in a new host Squalus blainville (Chondrichthyes: Squalidae): morphological, ultrastructural and phylogenetic data

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Abstract

Chloromyxum squali Gleeson and Adlard, 2012 originally described from Squalus acanthias Linnaeus, 1758 is reported for the first time from the gallbladder of Squalus blainville (Risso, 1827) caught from the eastern coast of Tunisia. In the present study, this chloromyxid was described based on morphological and ultrastructural features combined with molecular analysis of 18S rDNA. Young plasmodia were found attached to the gallbladder, while mature plasmodia and myxospores were observed floating free in the bile. Mature plasmodia were polysporic, subspherical in shape, measured 97.8 ± 0.5 µm long and 63.4 ± 0.4 µm wide. Mature myxospores were ovoid with a pointed anterior end, measuring 10.2 ± 0.5 µm long and 8.3 ± 0.5 µm wide. Two asymmetrical shell valves adhered together along an S-shaped suture line. Each valve has 5–7 elevated surface ridges parallel to suture line. A bundle of long caudal filaments extended from the basal end of shell valves. Four pyriform polar capsules equal in size, measuring 3.1 ± 0.4 µm long and 2.5 ± 0.3 µm wide, were situated at the same level in the anterior pole of the myxospore, each with a polar filament coiled in 7–8 turns. Pairwise comparisons among the SSU rDNA sequences revealed significant similarity between Chloromyxum squali infecting S. acanthias with the sequence obtained in this study. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that C. squali clustered in the clade of Chloromyxum species infecting the gallbladder of marine Chondrichthyes. Chloromyxum squali showed a seasonal variation of prevalence with significantly higher prevalence noted in summer and in autumn and absence of infection in winter.

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Acknowledgements

This work is a part of the PhD thesis of Houssem Eddine Snene supported by the University of Tunis El Manar and was supported by national funds through FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology within the scope of UIDB/04423/2020 and UIDP/04423/2020 to CIIMAR (Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research) and FCT employment contract CEECIND/03501/2017.

All authors would like to thank Professor Jerri Bartholomew from Oregon State University for her help in English proofreading.

All applicable international, national and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Biodiversity, , Parasitology and Ecology of Aquatic Ecosystems, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 2092, Tunis, Tunisia

    Houssem E. Snene & Sihem Bahri

  2. Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Luis F. Rangel & Maria J. Santos

  3. Laboratory of Animal Pathology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Luis F. Rangel & Maria J. Santos

  4. UMR SPE 6134 CNRS, University of Corsica Pascal Paoli, Corte, France

    Yann Quilichini

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  1. Houssem E. Snene
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Correspondence to Houssem E. Snene.

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Snene, H.E., Rangel, L.F., Quilichini, Y. et al. First description of Chloromyxum squali Gleeson and Adlard, 2012 (Myxozoa) in the Mediterranean Sea in a new host Squalus blainville (Chondrichthyes: Squalidae): morphological, ultrastructural and phylogenetic data. Parasitol Res 120, 2479–2491 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-021-07202-y

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