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Molecular and morphological characterisation of two species of the genus Ellipsomyxa Køie, 2003 (Ceratomyxidae) from the gall-bladder of Liza saliens (Risso) off Tunisian coasts of the Mediterranean

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Abstract

During examination of some species of the family Mugilidae, two coelozoic myxozoans were observed in the gall-bladder of the leaping mullet, Liza saliens (Risso). Spore morphology allowed us to allocate them to the genus Ellipsomyxa Køie, 2003, one of which is described here as new. Ellipsomyxa kalthoumi n. sp. was observed forming globular pseudoplasmodia and free spores floating in the bile. Mature spores are ellipsoidal, measuring 13–21 × 10–15 (17.2 × 13.2) µm and possessing two equal spherical polar capsules, 5–6 (5.5) µm in diameter, opening subterminally in opposite directions, with nine polar filament coils. Morphological data and molecular analysis of the small subunit rDNA sequences helped identify this parasite as a new species of Elliposmyxa. The second species identified as E. mugilis (Sitjà-Bobadilla & Alvarez-Pellitero, 1993) has oval spores with rounded ends, measuring 10–11 × 7–9 (10.5 × 8.0) µm and possessing two polar subspherical capsules, 2.7–3.0 (2.8) µm in diameter, opening subterminally in opposite directions. Spore morphometry and molecular study of the small subunit (SSU) of the rRNA gene identified this species as E. mugilis described from the same host in the Western Mediterranean off Spain. Phylogenetic analysis revealed Elliposmyxa as a monophyletic clade and showed that E. mugilis, E. syngnathi Køie & Karlsbakk, 2009, E. adlardi Whipps & Font, 2012 and E. gobii Køie, 2003 group in a subclade containing the Tunisian isolate of E. mugilis whereas E. kalthoumi n. sp. appears in a second subclade together with four Australian species, E. maniliensis Heiniger & Adlard, 2014, E. apogoni Heiniger & Adlard, 2014, E. nigropunctatis Heiniger & Adlard, 2014 and E. arothroni Heiniger & Adlard, 2014.

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Acknowledgements

We extend our appreciation to the Dean of Scientific Research, King Saud University, for funding the work through the research group project number RG-1435-023.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Unit of Integrative Biology and Evolutionary and Functional Ecology of Aquatic Systems, Faculty of Science of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, University Campus 2092, Tunis, Tunisia

    Aouatef Thabet, Sabiha Tlig-Zouari & Lamjed Mansour

  2. Faculty of Sciences of Gabès, University of Gabès, Erriadh City 6072 Zrig, Gabès, Tunisia

    Aouatef Thabet & Lamjed Mansour

  3. Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Suliman Y. Al Omar & Lamjed Mansour

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  1. Aouatef Thabet
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  2. Sabiha Tlig-Zouari
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  3. Suliman Y. Al Omar
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Correspondence to Lamjed Mansour.

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Thabet, A., Tlig-Zouari, S., Al Omar, S.Y. et al. Molecular and morphological characterisation of two species of the genus Ellipsomyxa Køie, 2003 (Ceratomyxidae) from the gall-bladder of Liza saliens (Risso) off Tunisian coasts of the Mediterranean. Syst Parasitol 93, 601–611 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-016-9647-7

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