Occurrence of two novel actinospore types (Cnidaria: Myxosporea) in Brazilian fish farms, and the creation of a novel actinospore collective group, Seisactinomyxon.

Abstract

The involvement of oligochaetes in the life cycles of fresh water myxozoan parasites in Brazil was investigated. Of 333 oligochaetes collected in a fish farm in the State of São Paulo, three (0.9%) released Aurantiactinomyxon type spores. From 86 worms collected in a fish farm in Mato Grosso do Sul State, 1 (0.9%) released actinospores with a novel morphology for which we propose the name Seisactinomyxon. Infected oligochaetes were identified by morphology: all belonged to family Naididae, with Pristina americana the host for Aurantiactinomyxon and Slavina evelinae the host of Seisactinomyxon. This is the first report of the involvement these two species of oligochaetes in the life cycle of myxozoans. Small subunit rDNA sequences of the Aurantiactinomyxon (1204 nt) and Seisactinomyxon (1877 nt) did not match any previously sequenced myxozoan. Phylogenetic analyses showed that both actinospore types fell in a clade formed by six Myxobolus spp. that parasitize Characiformes fishes.