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A new species of Ellipsomyxa Køie, 2003 (Bivalvulida) infecting the gall bladder of Pangasius macronema Bleeker (Siluriformes: Pangasiidae) from the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam

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Abstract

During a parasitological survey of freshwater fishes in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam, disporic plasmodia containing myxospores morphologically consistent with Ellipsomyxa Køie, 2003 (Bivalvulida) were observed infecting the gall bladder of Pangasius macronema Bleeker (Siluriformes: Pangasiidae). Herein, we use morphology and small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA, 18S) sequence data to describe Ellipsomyxa intravesica Ksepka & Bullard n. sp. and relate it to other myxozoans. The new species resembles Ellipsomyxa adlardi Whipps & Font, 2013, which infects the naked goby, Gobiosoma bosc (Lacepede) (Gobiiformes: Gobiidae) in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, but differs from it by having a longer myxospore (mean = 13.3; range = 12.0–15.0 vs. 12.4; 11.3–14.4) and shorter polar capsules (3.7; 3.0–4.0 vs. 4.3; 3.9–4.9). The 18S phylogenetic analysis recovered the sequence of the new species sister to those ascribed to Ellipsomyxa ariusi Chandran, Zacharia, Sathianandan & Sanil, 2020 and Ellipsomyxa sp. (MK561979); both of which infect the gall bladder of the threadfin sea catfish, Arius arius (Hamilton) (Siluriformes: Ariidiae) from the southwest coast of India. Consistent with previous phylogenetic analyses of Ellipsomyxa spp., Ellipsomyxa was recovered as monophyletic. The new species is the first species of Ellipsomyxa reported from a freshwater fish in Asia and the first myxozoan reported from P. macronema.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Thuy Ha Nguyen, former Rector of Dong Thap Community College, for hosting us during the collection in Vietnam; Micah B. Warren (Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA), and Carlos F. Ruiz (El Paso, Texas, USA) for helping with fish collection, necropsy, and identification. We would like to thank Dr. Christopher M. Whipps (State University of New York, Syracuse, NY) and anonymous reviewers for providing helpful comments on this manuscript.

Funding

This work was funded by research grants from the Auburn University Vice President for Research and Economic Development, Southeastern Cooperative Fish Parasite and Disease Project (Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources), Alabama Agriculture Experiment Station, and US Department of Agriculture.

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Authors and Affiliations

  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, Triet N. Truong & Stephen A. Bullard

Authors
  1. Steven P. Ksepka
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  2. Triet N. Truong
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  3. Stephen A. Bullard
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Ksepka prepared the manuscript, Truong provided logistical support for the collection and assisted with sampling, 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., Truong, T.N. & Bullard, S.A. A new species of Ellipsomyxa Køie, 2003 (Bivalvulida) infecting the gall bladder of Pangasius macronema Bleeker (Siluriformes: Pangasiidae) from the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam. Syst Parasitol 100, 647–656 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-023-10114-3

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