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Myxobolus lepomis n. sp. (Cnidaria: Myxobolidae), a gill myxozoan infecting Lepomis marginatus Holbrook and Lepomis miniatus Jordan (Perciformes: Centrarchidae), in the Big Thicket National Preserve, Texas, USA

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Abstract

A parasitological survey of freshwater fishes in the Big Thicket National Preserve in southeast Texas revealed myxozoan infections in two species of sunfish, Lepomis marginatus Holbrook and Lepomis miniatus Jordan (Perciformes: Centrarchidae). Pseudocysts were elongate-oval, 988 × 485 µm (ex L. marginatus) and 800 × 606 µm (ex L. miniatus) and demonstrated a predilection to the edge of the primary gill lamellae. Myxospores consistent with the genus Myxobolus were oblong, 16.8–21.3 (19.0 ± 0.9) µm long, 7.0–8.8 (7.9 ± 0.5) µm wide and 5.3–6.1 (5.8 ± 0.3) µm thick (ex L. marginatus) and 17.2–20.3 (18.8 ± 0.7) µm long, 7.5–9.9 (8.7 ± 0.6) µm wide, and 6.8–7.2 (7.0 ± 0.2) µm thick (ex L. miniatus); with 2 pyriform polar capsules 8.3–9.8 (9.0 ± 0.5) µm long, 2.2–2.7 (2.5 ± 0.2) µm wide (ex L. marginatus) and 9.2–10.5 (10.0 ± 0.4) µm long, 2.2–3.0 (2.8 ± 0.2) µm wide (ex L. miniatus). Statistically, the measurements of spore body width, polar capsule length, and polar capsule width were significantly different between myxospores from L. marginatus and L. miniatus. However, intraspecific genetic variability between isolates at the 18S rRNA gene was negligible, with < 0.8% variability across > 2,000 bp of sequence. The isolates shared no significant sequence similarity with any myxozoan deposited in the GenBank nucleotide database. Phylogenetic analysis inferred from the 18S rRNA gene from both L. marginatus and L. miniatus placed the isolates within a clade of myxozoan parasites of perciform fishes. Based on shared tissue and host family tropism, overlapping morphological characters and high degrees of sequence conservation at the 18S rRNA gene, we propose these isolates as morphologically distinct, genetically conspecific representatives of M. lepomis n. sp. from the gills of L. marginatus and L. miniatus in the Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas, USA.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine Aquatic Research & Diagnostic Laboratory for the use of their facility.

Funding

This work was supported by National Science Foundation award DEB1253129 to MAB and the Mississippi University College of Veterinary Medicine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, 39762, USA

    Thomas G. Rosser

  2. Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, 39762, USA

    Wes A. Baumgartner & Matt J. Griffin

  3. Department of Natural Science, Peru State College, Peru, Nebraska, 68421, USA

    Michael A. Barger

  4. Thad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Center, Aquatic Research and Diagnostic Laboratory, Delta Research and Extension Center, Mississippi State University, Stoneville, Mississippi, 38776, USA

    Matt J. Griffin

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  1. Thomas G. Rosser
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Correspondence to Matt J. Griffin.

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All applicable institutional, national and international guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed (IACUC # 16-08-22-1016-3-01; collecting permit BITH-2016-SCI-0001).

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This article was registered in the Official Register of Zoolog Nomenclature (ZooBank) as 8189D933-33A9-4BD2-A6D4-CE1A8FD6D547. This article was published as an Online First article on the online publication date shown on this page. The article should be cited by using the doi number. This is the version of record.

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Rosser, T.G., Baumgartner, W.A., Barger, M.A. et al. Myxobolus lepomis n. sp. (Cnidaria: Myxobolidae), a gill myxozoan infecting Lepomis marginatus Holbrook and Lepomis miniatus Jordan (Perciformes: Centrarchidae), in the Big Thicket National Preserve, Texas, USA. Syst Parasitol 94, 535–545 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-017-9719-3

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