Henneguya melini n. sp. (Myxosporea: Myxobolidae), a parasite of Corydoras melini (Teleostei: Siluriformes) in the Amazon region: morphological and ultrastructural aspects.

Abstract

A new species of myxozoan, Henneguya melini sp. n. (Myxosporea: Myxobolidae), was described based on morphologic and ultrastructural features. This is a parasite of the ornamental freshwater fish C. melini from the Rio Negro, and it was found in five of 30 (16.7%) C. melini examined. The parasite was found in the gill filaments, and the plasmodia had form of round to ellipsoid, with mature and immature spores inside them. The average spore body was 15.5 ± 0.2μm in length, 4.7 ± 0.1μm in width, and the tail measured 25.3 ± 0.1μm in length. The spores showed typical features of the genus Henneguya, with two valves of equal size and two symmetrical polar capsules of 4.8 ± 0.7μm in length and 1.7 ± 0.3μm in width. Each polar capsule had a polar filament with five to six turns. Based on morphology (morphologic and ultrastructural data) of the plasmodia and spores and the fact that this is the first report of a Henneguya species in a fish species of the genus Corydoras, it was considered a new myxozoan species.