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Two new species of Myxobolus Bütschli, 1882 (Cnidaria: Bivalvulida: Myxobolidae) infecting the gill of the black redhorse, Moxostoma duquesnei (Lesueur) (Cypriniformes: Catostomidae) in the Little Tennessee River Basin, North Carolina

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Abstract

Two new species of Myxobolus Bütschli, 1882 (Bivalvulida: Myxobolidae) are described from the gill of the black redhorse (Moxostoma duquesnei [Leueur][Cypriniformes: Catostomidae]) from the Little Tennessee River Basin, North Carolina, United States. Myxobolus branchiofilum n. sp. infects lumen of the lamellar arterioles and Myxobolus branchiopecten n. sp. infects the bone and cartilage at the tip of the gill rakers. They differ from all congeners by a combination of myxospore dimensions and the presence or absence of an iodinophilic vacuole in the sporoplasm, mucous envelope, intercapsular process, and sutural markings. A phylogenetic analysis of the small subunit ribosomal DNA recovered M. branchiopectin sister to Myxobolus sp. (AF378343) in a clade composed of 6 species of Myxobolus, which infect predominately cypriniform intermediate hosts. Myxobolus branchiofilum was recovered sister to Myxobolus ictiobus Rosser, Griffin, Quiniou, Alberson, Woodyard, Mischker, Greenway, Wise & Pote, 2016 in a clade composed of 8 species of Myxobolus, which predominately infect catostomid intermediate hosts. Histological sections of infected gill revealed intra-lamellar plasmodia of M. branchiofilum in the lumen of the lamellar arterioles and foci of M. branchiopecten developing in the bone and cartilage of the gill raker tip. These are the first myxozoans reported from the black redhorse. Given that these two new species are morphologically congeneric but recovered in distantly related clades, we discuss the persistent issue of myxobolid genera paraphyly/polyphyly.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dave Matthews (Tennessee Valley Authority, Knoxville, Tennessee), Jason Mays (United States Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS], Asheville, North Carolina), Luke Etchison and Dylan Owensby (both North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, Asheville, North Carolina) for helping collect black redhorse; Nathan Whelan (USFWS, Auburn, Alabama) and Brian Hickson (USFWS, Fish Health Center, Warm Springs, Georgia) for assistance with sampling logistics.

Funding

This project was supported by research grants from the Alabama Agricultural Research Station, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the United States Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission Aquatic Nuisance Species Program.

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  1. Aquatic Parasitology Laboratory, School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, & Aquatic Sciences, College of Agriculture, Auburn University, 203 Swingle Hall, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA

    Steven P. Ksepka & Stephen A. Bullard

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  1. Steven P. Ksepka
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Ksepka prepared the manuscript and Bullard coordinated the study and leads the lab at Auburn University.

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Correspondence to Steven P. Ksepka.

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Ksepka, S.P., Bullard, S.A. Two new species of Myxobolus Bütschli, 1882 (Cnidaria: Bivalvulida: Myxobolidae) infecting the gill of the black redhorse, Moxostoma duquesnei (Lesueur) (Cypriniformes: Catostomidae) in the Little Tennessee River Basin, North Carolina. Syst Parasitol 98, 713–730 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-021-10007-3

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