Description of two new species of Ceratomyxa Thélohan, 1892 (Cnidaria: Myxosporea) infecting the gallbladder of Epinephelinae fishes from Tunisian waters using morphological and molecular data.

Abstract

Ceratomyxa marginati n. sp. and C. aenei n. sp. are two new coelozoic myxosporean species infecting the gallbladder of the dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) and the white grouper (Epinephelus aeneus), respectively. These two ceratomyxids were described using morphological characteristics and molecular analysis of the SSU rDNA. Ceratomyxa marginati n. sp. exhibits disporic plasmodia measuring 12-14 µm long and 11-12 µm wide and mature myxospores which are slightly crescent-shaped, measuring 6.0 ± 0.3 (5.6-6.8) µm in length and 12.9 ± 0.9 (11.5-14.0) μm in thickness. Plasmodia of C. aenei n. sp. were disporic and ellipsoidal and measured 28-32 μm in length and 19-22 μm in width. Mature myxospores of C. aenei n. sp. were elongated with unequal shell valves and measured 7.4 ± 0.6 (6.9-9.0) μm in length and 26.9 ± 2.4 (23.2-30.0) μm in thickness. Based on the SSU rDNA sequences, Ceratomyxa marginati n. sp. and C. aenei n. sp. are distinct from all other Ceratomyxa sequences available in GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that the two new species branched together within a clade with other Ceratomyxa species from different host families and different geographical localities with maximum support (100%).