Abstract
A total of 30 specimens of the Amazonian electric knifefish, Brachyhypopomus beebei Schultz, 1944 (Gymnotiformes: Hypopomidae), were collected from the Peixe-Boi River in the state of Pará, Brazil (1°06'59" S; 47°18'26" W). Fragments of the brain tissue were extracted for analysis via optical microscopy, and 18 specimens (60%) presented microparasites of the genus Myxobolus, with unequal capsules. The spores were 18.6 µm (17.7-19.8 µm) long and 8.6 µm (8.4-9.0 µm) wide; the largest polar capsule was 13.0 µm (12.4-13.4 µm) long and 5.6 µm (5.3-6.0 µm) wide, and the smallest capsule was 5.0 µm (4.5-5.3 µm) long and 2.5 µm (2.3-2.6 µm) wide. Infected brain fragments were extracted for histological processing and staining with hematoxylin-eosin and Ziehl-Neelsen. Some fragments were conserved in ethanol for molecular genetics analysis. A partial sequence of the 18S DNA gene was obtained from the spores, which did not correspond to any other sequences deposited in GenBank, although it did form a clade with other Myxobolus parasites of the nervous system. The morphological data, together with molecular phylogeny, supported the designation of a new species Myxobolus freitasi n. sp.
Highlights
The hydrographic basin of the Peixe-Boi River is located in the northeastern part of the state of Pará, Brazil, and has a total area of 1,044.32 km2 (Silva & Lima, 2000)
A 60% prevalence of infection was recorded for myxozoa in the central nervous system (CNS) of the host, Brachyhypopomus beebei
Myxobolus freitasi n. sp. has a shape similar to that described for other myxozoans of this genus, such as M. axelrodi, described by Camus et al (2017) infecting Paracheirodon axelrodi, M. toyamai, found in Cyprinus carpio in Japan (Yokoyama & Ogawa, 2015) and M. stellatus infecting Thoracocharax stellatus from Colombia (Stilwell et al, 2020)
Summary
The hydrographic basin of the Peixe-Boi River is located in the northeastern part of the state of Pará, Brazil, and has a total area of 1,044.32 km (Silva & Lima, 2000). It is located primarily within the municipality of Peixe-Boi, an area characterized by unregulated settlement, which has caused extensive environmental degradation and modification of the local ecosystems. This has interfered with the biota of the municipality’s rivers. The aquatic lifestyle of these animals facilitates dispersal and transmission of parasites (Ahid et al, 2009)
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Schedule a callMore From: Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria = Brazilian journal of veterinary parasitology : Orgao Oficial do Colegio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria
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